Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Next Month's Pick and Review Time for January
Ok so next month's pick will be Room by Emma Donoghue. Also when would be a good time for review for everyone? I know we discussed it, but did we finalize? I know I mentioned that Tuesday's would be better for me then monday, I also wonder if that would be better since Monday's often fall on long weekends and holidays. Does Tuesday work for everyone? and do we want to do 2nd, 3rd or last tuesday of the month? (I can't do first). Ok let me know your thoughts! Thank you!
Friday, December 17, 2010
February Pick
Hi everyone...I was thinking it was time to choose our next selection since our review of Thorn Birds is coming up in January. I was also worried some of you may need a new book to read ;) I have recently read 2 amazing reads, seriously both 5 stars. So here's your pick:
In many ways, Jack is a typical 5-year-old. He likes to read books, watch TV, and play games with his Ma. But Jack is different in a big way--he has lived his entire life in a single room, sharing the tiny space with only his mother and an unnerving nighttime visitor known as Old Nick. For Jack, Room is the only world he knows, but for Ma, it is a prison in which she has tried to craft a normal life for her son. When their insular world suddenly expands beyond the confines of their four walls, the consequences are piercing and extraordinary. Despite its profoundly disturbing premise, Emma Donoghue's Room is rife with moments of hope and beauty, and the dogged determination to live, even in the most desolate circumstances. A stunning and original novel of survival in captivity, readers who enter Room will leave staggered, as though, like Jack, they are seeing the world for the very first time.
I read Room in 3 days...it's a very compelling and easy read, and although you may think it is too sad to read, its not. Jack is happy and knows no different life, he isn't abused in any way. He's smart, funny and one of the best things about this book is its told from Jack's 5 year old's voice. I absolutely loved this book!
The second choice is Same Kind of Different As Me. Switching back and forth in short segments, two narrators portray authors Hall and Moore in memoirs that begin in distant walks of life and intersect in a homeless shelter. In the charming accent of an unschooled black man with a deep, scratchy voice, narrator Barry Scott recounts Denver Moore's life of hardship and misfortune, starting on a Louisiana plantation. In contrast, the subtle Southern accent of Dan Butler speaks for co-author Ron Hall, an educated white gentleman of comfortable means. The narrators play their parts of the drama so well that listeners will believe they are hearing the men who lived the story. In the end, the two individuals form an unlikely friendship resulting from charity and challenged by tragedy.
This is the type of book that stays with you. It's an amazing story and definitely challenges you to want to be a better person. These are amazing people who really made a difference in many people's lives. I think its one of those books everyone should read at some point.
Vote is at the side..... and ends next Friday :)
In many ways, Jack is a typical 5-year-old. He likes to read books, watch TV, and play games with his Ma. But Jack is different in a big way--he has lived his entire life in a single room, sharing the tiny space with only his mother and an unnerving nighttime visitor known as Old Nick. For Jack, Room is the only world he knows, but for Ma, it is a prison in which she has tried to craft a normal life for her son. When their insular world suddenly expands beyond the confines of their four walls, the consequences are piercing and extraordinary. Despite its profoundly disturbing premise, Emma Donoghue's Room is rife with moments of hope and beauty, and the dogged determination to live, even in the most desolate circumstances. A stunning and original novel of survival in captivity, readers who enter Room will leave staggered, as though, like Jack, they are seeing the world for the very first time.
I read Room in 3 days...it's a very compelling and easy read, and although you may think it is too sad to read, its not. Jack is happy and knows no different life, he isn't abused in any way. He's smart, funny and one of the best things about this book is its told from Jack's 5 year old's voice. I absolutely loved this book!
The second choice is Same Kind of Different As Me. Switching back and forth in short segments, two narrators portray authors Hall and Moore in memoirs that begin in distant walks of life and intersect in a homeless shelter. In the charming accent of an unschooled black man with a deep, scratchy voice, narrator Barry Scott recounts Denver Moore's life of hardship and misfortune, starting on a Louisiana plantation. In contrast, the subtle Southern accent of Dan Butler speaks for co-author Ron Hall, an educated white gentleman of comfortable means. The narrators play their parts of the drama so well that listeners will believe they are hearing the men who lived the story. In the end, the two individuals form an unlikely friendship resulting from charity and challenged by tragedy.
This is the type of book that stays with you. It's an amazing story and definitely challenges you to want to be a better person. These are amazing people who really made a difference in many people's lives. I think its one of those books everyone should read at some point.
Vote is at the side..... and ends next Friday :)
Friday, October 15, 2010
MY PICK
Ok all...I have decided to go with one of my top 3 favorite books of all time...THE THORN BIRDS!! Hope you all love it as much as I do. Maybe when everyone is done we can all watch the mini series and discuss that too, I have 2 copies if anyone wants one! :) Rani and I talked, and we decided that we will read Thorn Birds until January. It's a long book, and things start getting crazy over the Holidays. Our book review will be the first or second week of January. Once we start again in January, there will be some new rules and changes to the book club. So far we noticed our members dwindling away, and people not showing up for their reviews! From here on out Rani and I may have to be the book nazis...so I apologize in advance. We are serious about our club, and only want people that are totally committed and will participate each month.
Enjoy The Thorn Birds and see you all again in January!!
BTW, if you read any good books between now and then, please share! Les, I have one for you...The Rembrandt Affair. I read it on the flight home from Paris and it was set mostly in Paris and Amsterdam!! I loved it, soooo good! Made me wish we would have gone through The Rembrandt Museum in Amsterdam though. :(
And one last item on the agenda...Congrats to Andrea on the new baby!!! Can't wait to see pics, you should post some!
XOXO!
Nat
Saturday, October 2, 2010
NAT'S PICKS
Ok, my pics are below. Sorry, I am going for LONG novels..maybe we should give ourselves 3 months to read??? I also have to add in my two cents: I have read novels by each of the authors, and actually read The Thorn Birds twice. All are epic sagas, all are long, and all are AMAZING authors and some of my favorite books. Has anyone read Pillars of the Earth or The Poisonwood Bible? Amazing!! And you have all heard my raving about The Thorn Birds (one of my favorite books on earth!) I am so excited about these selections! Please vote on the right!
1) KEN FOLLET: FALL OF GIANTS
Amazon Best of the Month, September 2010: Welcome to the 20th century as you've never seen it. At over 1,000 pages, Fall of Giants delivers all the elements that fans of Ken Folletthave come to treasure: historical accuracy, richly developed characters, and a sweeping yet intimate portrait of a past world that you'll fully inhabit before the first chapter is through. The story follows five families across the globe as their fates intertwine with the extraordinary events of World War I, the political struggles within their own countries, and the rise of the feminist movement. Intriguing stories of love and loyalty abound, from a forbidden romance between a German spy and a British aristocrat to a Russian soldier and his scandal-ridden brother in love with the same woman. Action-packed with blood on the battlefield and conspiracies behind closed doors, Fall of Giants brings the nuances of each character to life and shifts easily from dirty coal mines to sparkling palaces. There is so much to love here, and the good news is the end is just the beginning: Fall of Giants is the first in a planned trilogy. --Miriam Landis
Product Description
Ken Follett's World Without End was a global phenomenon, a work of grand historical sweep, beloved by millions of readers and acclaimed by critics. At a towering 1,000 pages,Fall of Giants is his magnificent new historical epic and the first novel in The Century Trilogy.
It follows the fates of five interrelated families-American, German, Russian, English, and Welsh-as they move through the world-shaking dramas of the First World War, the Russian Revolution, and the struggle for women's suffrage.
Thirteen-year-old Billy Williams enters a man's world in the Welsh mining pits...Gus Dewar, an American law student rejected in love, finds a surprising new career in Woodrow Wilson's White House...two orphaned Russian brothers, Grigori and Lev Peshkov, embark on radically different paths half a world apart when their plan to emigrate to America falls afoul of war, conscription, and revolution...Billy's sister, Ethel, a housekeeper for the aristocratic Fitzherberts, takes a fateful step above her station, while Lady Maud Fitzherbert herself crosses deep into forbidden territory when she falls in love with Walter von Ulrich, a spy at the German embassy in London...
These characters and many others find their lives inextricably entangled as, in a saga of unfolding drama and intriguing complexity, Fall of Giants moves seamlessly from Washington to St. Petersburg, from the dirt and danger of a coal mine to the glittering chandeliers of a palace, from the corridors of power to the bedrooms of the mighty. As always with Ken Follett, the historical background is brilliantly researched and rendered, the action fast-moving, the characters rich in nuance and emotion. It is destined to be a new classic.
In future volumes of The Century Trilogy, subsequent generations of the same families will travel through the great events of the rest of the twentieth century, changing themselves-and the century itself. With passion and the hand of a master, Follett brings us into a world we thought we knew, but now will never seem the same again.
It follows the fates of five interrelated families-American, German, Russian, English, and Welsh-as they move through the world-shaking dramas of the First World War, the Russian Revolution, and the struggle for women's suffrage.
Thirteen-year-old Billy Williams enters a man's world in the Welsh mining pits...Gus Dewar, an American law student rejected in love, finds a surprising new career in Woodrow Wilson's White House...two orphaned Russian brothers, Grigori and Lev Peshkov, embark on radically different paths half a world apart when their plan to emigrate to America falls afoul of war, conscription, and revolution...Billy's sister, Ethel, a housekeeper for the aristocratic Fitzherberts, takes a fateful step above her station, while Lady Maud Fitzherbert herself crosses deep into forbidden territory when she falls in love with Walter von Ulrich, a spy at the German embassy in London...
These characters and many others find their lives inextricably entangled as, in a saga of unfolding drama and intriguing complexity, Fall of Giants moves seamlessly from Washington to St. Petersburg, from the dirt and danger of a coal mine to the glittering chandeliers of a palace, from the corridors of power to the bedrooms of the mighty. As always with Ken Follett, the historical background is brilliantly researched and rendered, the action fast-moving, the characters rich in nuance and emotion. It is destined to be a new classic.
In future volumes of The Century Trilogy, subsequent generations of the same families will travel through the great events of the rest of the twentieth century, changing themselves-and the century itself. With passion and the hand of a master, Follett brings us into a world we thought we knew, but now will never seem the same again.
2) COLLEEN MCCULLOUGH: THE THORN BIRDS
Review
"A heart-rending epic...truly marvelous" -- --Chicago Tribune
"A perfect Read...The kind of book the world blockbuster was made" -- --Boston Globe
"Beautiful...compelling entertaiment" -- unknown
"A perfect Read...The kind of book the world blockbuster was made" -- --Boston Globe
"Beautiful...compelling entertaiment" -- unknown
Product Description
Now, 25 years after it first took the world by storm, Colleen McCullough's sweeping family saga of dreams, titanic struggles, dark passions, and forbidden love in the Australian Outback returns to enthrall a new generation. As powerful, moving, and unforgettable as when it originally appeared, it remains a monumental literary achievement—a landmark novel to be read . . . and read again!
3) BARBARA KINGSOLVER: PRODIGAL SUMMER
There is no one in contemporary literature quite like Barbara Kingsolver. Her dialogue sparkles with sassy wit and earthy poetry; her descriptions are rooted in daily life but are also on familiar terms with the eternal. With Prodigal Summer, she returns from the Congo to a "wrinkle on the map that lies between farms and wildness." And there, in an isolated pocket of southern Appalachia, she recounts not one but three intricate stories.
Exuberant, lush, riotous--the summer of the novel is "the season of extravagant procreation" in which bullfrogs carelessly lay their jellied masses of eggs in the grass, "apparently confident that their tadpoles would be able to swim through the lawn like little sperms," and in which a woman may learn to "tell time with her skin." It is also the summer in which a family of coyotes moves into the mountains above Zebulon Valley:
The ghost of a creature long extinct was coming in on silent footprints, returning to the place it had once held in the complex anatomy of this forest like a beating heart returned to its body. This is what she believed she would see, if she watched, at this magical juncture: a restoration.The "she" is Deanna Wolfe, a wildlife biologist observing the coyotes from her isolated aerie--isolated, that is, until the arrival of a young hunter who makes her even more aware of the truth that humans are only an infinitesimal portion in the ecological balance. This truth forms the axis around which the other two narratives revolve: the story of a city girl, entomologist, and new widow and her efforts to find a place for herself; and the story of Garnett Walker and Nannie Rawley, who seem bent on thrashing out the countless intimate lessons of biology as only an irascible traditional farmer and a devotee of organic agriculture can. As Nannie lectures Garnett, "Everything alive is connected to every other by fine, invisible threads. Things you don't see can help you plenty, and things you try to control will often rear back and bite you, and that's the moral of the story."
Structurally, that gossamer web is the story: images, phrases, and events link the narratives, and these echoes are rarely obvious, always serendipitous. Kingsolver is one of those authors for whom the terrifying elegance of nature is both aesthetic wonder and source of a fierce and abiding moral vision. She may have inherited Thoreau's mantle, but she piles up riches of her own making, blending her extravagant narrative gift with benevolent concise humor. She treads the line between the sentimental and the glorious like nobody else in American literature. --Kelly Flynn
Monday, September 20, 2010
Review for House Rules
Did you guess what happened at Jess' house before the end of the book?
Rani says:
but i don't even know if nat's cousin is doing it anymore
yes i figured it out
Leslie says:
I thought they gave it away early on
Rani says:
yup totally
it drove me crazy he wouldn't tell!
Andrea says:
I had a pretty good idea, I knew he didn't hurt her
Leslie says:
I was sort of mad when they let on that the brother was in the house
Andrea says:
Me too
Rani says:
right
Leslie says:
I thought that they should have saved that twist till the end
Andrea says:
Brother should have totally stepped up sooner
Leslie says:
YUP
Was it believable that Jacob would try to cover for Theo without understanding that he was implicating himself in the murder?
Rani says:
yup agreed on both parts...he seriuosly was ready to let his bro go to jail
Leslie says:
I think it is so hard to understand the actions of someone with aspergers
Rani says:
Ok for the most part and for a typical asperger kid i would think so, but i have to say with as much as he knew about solving crimes i had a hard time buying that he would not have
Andrea says:
I think he would, it was part of the House Rules and he was very much into following them
Rani says:
he was totally a savant in that area
Leslie says:
Right, he seemed especially smart
Rani says:
right about the house rules
i forgot about that
it overuled i guess
Leslie says:
What do you think happened to the characters after they went to tell the judge about Theo being at the house? Were you upset that there was not more of a conclusion to the story?
I would like to believe that it was ruled as a mistrial and everyone was set free. But is it really that easy?
Rani says:
I got the feeling everything ended neatly and happy...whether or not it would have realistically I'm not sure.
Andrea says:
Very much so!!! I was sortof ticked I read 500+ pages and got totally ripped off in the end
I wanted more!
I like happy endings though, and while I think this had one, I wish it would have give me a little more
Leslie says:
Me too. In some sense I thought she really hit you over the head with Asperger's and could have cut down on some areas and added 20 more pages at the end
Andrea says:
I agree, I felt like she was repetitive sometimes
Rani says:
right, i have to agree there...in other aspects realistically a kid with asperger's that has been in therapy that long, i think he wouldn't have been that abnormal in other areas too
Leslie says:
Do you think an insanity defense if appropriate for someone with Asperger's? Why or why not?
I would say yes, but it made you feel like he was competent. If I was the mother of the victim I would have a harder time
Andrea says:
I am not sure on this one, I felt like he totally knew and understood what he was doing, so in this instance I don't think he needed an insanity plea I think he just needed to tell the truth
Rani says:
I think it depends on the person just like any murder case... in his case and the way the story was going i definitely think it was appropriate
Leslie says:
right.
Rani says:
i say appropriate obviously because he seemed incapable of telling what happened
Leslie says:
I blame the brother for coming forward.
Rani says:
i totally do
he knew better
Andrea says:
True, but I think if they would have put him on the stand and asked him to tell the truth he would have
Agree it was all the brothers fault
Leslie says:
It was frustrating that he could not see how simple the solution was. I could not image how it would be to deal with that on a daily basis.
It's amazing how many different challenges people have to go through in life
Rani says:
I know it seriously would be utterly difficult
Andrea says:
I couldn't either, the poor mother
Leslie says:
Do you know anyone with Asperger's syndrome? Did the descriptions of Jacob fit what you know of that person?
Rani says:
and i think the 3 year old currently sitting on my back begging to stay up is difficult
Leslie says:
I really don't know anyone with Asperger's
Is he really still up?!
Rani says:
Ok this is the only part of the book that frustrated me
i've done a lot of research on it
Leslie says:
And?
Rani says:
and from what i understand...and we know she got the kid in therapy from the getgo
Andrea says:
We have a kid in our primary, and he is really smart and super instense about certain things, but I probably don't know him well enough to say
Rani says:
a kid with asperger's can end up being pretty dang normal with therapy
Leslie says:
umm
Rani says:
and often get their diagnosis reversed
Leslie says:
really?
I really didn't know much about it before the book.
Rani says:
i think the story would have been more realistic if he had just plain autism
cause aspergers is suppose to be the highest functioning form of autism
Andrea says:
possibly, the spectrum for that is so huge
Leslie says:
I was curious to see what Nat has to say since she has worked a lot with autistic kids.
Rani says:
my friend annie's kid has asbergers, and was in therapy since he was 2, and now he is 7 and had his diagnosis reversed just last year
Andrea says:
That is great you can reverse it, I know I would be doing anything I could
i can't imagine not wanting to help my kid
Leslie says:
Did you learn anything new about Asperger's syndrome?
Rani says:
Well I think it's always interesting, and every case is different for sure...
Leslie says:
What did you think of Oliver's romance with Jacob's mother?
Rani says:
i loved the romance actually
i'm just a romantic, but he seemed nice and adorable
i loved that he got the food days too
Leslie says:
I thought it was sort of strange but I also thought they were trying to show that after years of putting her son first she was finally considering herself
Rani says:
good point
Andrea says:
At first I thought it was going to be the cop that she hooked up with, but I thought he was cute
I also liked the food thing
Rani says:
i thought the cop too at first
Leslie says:
Was the cop married/
Rani says:
divorced
Andrea says:
divorced
Leslie says:
oh, right
Overall did you like the book?
Rani says:
i really did, i thought it was very entertaining
i also liked that she wrote in her typical style
i feel it helps you get to know the characters better
Andrea says:
I did like it, I enjoy her style when she does the chapters for the different characters
I did wish there was a little more at the end though
Leslie says:
I thought it was interesting. I really didn't know much about Asperger's. I also liked her style
I like how she wrote it from the different character's point of view
Rani says:
did you guys read my sister's keeper too?
Leslie says:
She spent so much time developing the story and the characters that I thought she could have ended it a bit better.
yea. It was so hard to read. So sad.
Have you read any of her other books?
Rani says:
agreed, the ending left much to be desired
Andrea says:
That was the first one of hers that I had read, totally hated the end
Rani says:
i've read the two, and then saw the movie about the amish girl
Leslie says:
I hated the end but then I watched the move and hated that even more
What is the one about the amish girl.
Andrea says:
yeah I heard the movie ends different, I haven't seen it yet
Rani says:
ya i felt the same... i'm trying to remember the name
but she gets pregnant
and aborts her baby
i can't remember if she aborts it on purpose or not
Leslie says:
I should read a few more of hers when I have time
There are so many books I am waiting to read right now.
Rani says:
i know it gets hard!
Rani says:
but i don't even know if nat's cousin is doing it anymore
yes i figured it out
Leslie says:
I thought they gave it away early on
Rani says:
yup totally
it drove me crazy he wouldn't tell!
Andrea says:
I had a pretty good idea, I knew he didn't hurt her
Leslie says:
I was sort of mad when they let on that the brother was in the house
Andrea says:
Me too
Rani says:
right
Leslie says:
I thought that they should have saved that twist till the end
Andrea says:
Brother should have totally stepped up sooner
Leslie says:
YUP
Was it believable that Jacob would try to cover for Theo without understanding that he was implicating himself in the murder?
Rani says:
yup agreed on both parts...he seriuosly was ready to let his bro go to jail
Leslie says:
I think it is so hard to understand the actions of someone with aspergers
Rani says:
Ok for the most part and for a typical asperger kid i would think so, but i have to say with as much as he knew about solving crimes i had a hard time buying that he would not have
Andrea says:
I think he would, it was part of the House Rules and he was very much into following them
Rani says:
he was totally a savant in that area
Leslie says:
Right, he seemed especially smart
Rani says:
right about the house rules
i forgot about that
it overuled i guess
Leslie says:
What do you think happened to the characters after they went to tell the judge about Theo being at the house? Were you upset that there was not more of a conclusion to the story?
I would like to believe that it was ruled as a mistrial and everyone was set free. But is it really that easy?
Rani says:
I got the feeling everything ended neatly and happy...whether or not it would have realistically I'm not sure.
Andrea says:
Very much so!!! I was sortof ticked I read 500+ pages and got totally ripped off in the end
I wanted more!
I like happy endings though, and while I think this had one, I wish it would have give me a little more
Leslie says:
Me too. In some sense I thought she really hit you over the head with Asperger's and could have cut down on some areas and added 20 more pages at the end
Andrea says:
I agree, I felt like she was repetitive sometimes
Rani says:
right, i have to agree there...in other aspects realistically a kid with asperger's that has been in therapy that long, i think he wouldn't have been that abnormal in other areas too
Leslie says:
Do you think an insanity defense if appropriate for someone with Asperger's? Why or why not?
I would say yes, but it made you feel like he was competent. If I was the mother of the victim I would have a harder time
Andrea says:
I am not sure on this one, I felt like he totally knew and understood what he was doing, so in this instance I don't think he needed an insanity plea I think he just needed to tell the truth
Rani says:
I think it depends on the person just like any murder case... in his case and the way the story was going i definitely think it was appropriate
Leslie says:
right.
Rani says:
i say appropriate obviously because he seemed incapable of telling what happened
Leslie says:
I blame the brother for coming forward.
Rani says:
i totally do
he knew better
Andrea says:
True, but I think if they would have put him on the stand and asked him to tell the truth he would have
Agree it was all the brothers fault
Leslie says:
It was frustrating that he could not see how simple the solution was. I could not image how it would be to deal with that on a daily basis.
It's amazing how many different challenges people have to go through in life
Rani says:
I know it seriously would be utterly difficult
Andrea says:
I couldn't either, the poor mother
Leslie says:
Do you know anyone with Asperger's syndrome? Did the descriptions of Jacob fit what you know of that person?
Rani says:
and i think the 3 year old currently sitting on my back begging to stay up is difficult
Leslie says:
I really don't know anyone with Asperger's
Is he really still up?!
Rani says:
Ok this is the only part of the book that frustrated me
i've done a lot of research on it
Leslie says:
And?
Rani says:
and from what i understand...and we know she got the kid in therapy from the getgo
Andrea says:
We have a kid in our primary, and he is really smart and super instense about certain things, but I probably don't know him well enough to say
Rani says:
a kid with asperger's can end up being pretty dang normal with therapy
Leslie says:
umm
Rani says:
and often get their diagnosis reversed
Leslie says:
really?
I really didn't know much about it before the book.
Rani says:
i think the story would have been more realistic if he had just plain autism
cause aspergers is suppose to be the highest functioning form of autism
Andrea says:
possibly, the spectrum for that is so huge
Leslie says:
I was curious to see what Nat has to say since she has worked a lot with autistic kids.
Rani says:
my friend annie's kid has asbergers, and was in therapy since he was 2, and now he is 7 and had his diagnosis reversed just last year
Andrea says:
That is great you can reverse it, I know I would be doing anything I could
i can't imagine not wanting to help my kid
Leslie says:
Did you learn anything new about Asperger's syndrome?
Rani says:
Well I think it's always interesting, and every case is different for sure...
Leslie says:
What did you think of Oliver's romance with Jacob's mother?
Rani says:
i loved the romance actually
i'm just a romantic, but he seemed nice and adorable
i loved that he got the food days too
Leslie says:
I thought it was sort of strange but I also thought they were trying to show that after years of putting her son first she was finally considering herself
Rani says:
good point
Andrea says:
At first I thought it was going to be the cop that she hooked up with, but I thought he was cute
I also liked the food thing
Rani says:
i thought the cop too at first
Leslie says:
Was the cop married/
Rani says:
divorced
Andrea says:
divorced
Leslie says:
oh, right
Overall did you like the book?
Rani says:
i really did, i thought it was very entertaining
i also liked that she wrote in her typical style
i feel it helps you get to know the characters better
Andrea says:
I did like it, I enjoy her style when she does the chapters for the different characters
I did wish there was a little more at the end though
Leslie says:
I thought it was interesting. I really didn't know much about Asperger's. I also liked her style
I like how she wrote it from the different character's point of view
Rani says:
did you guys read my sister's keeper too?
Leslie says:
She spent so much time developing the story and the characters that I thought she could have ended it a bit better.
yea. It was so hard to read. So sad.
Have you read any of her other books?
Rani says:
agreed, the ending left much to be desired
Andrea says:
That was the first one of hers that I had read, totally hated the end
Rani says:
i've read the two, and then saw the movie about the amish girl
Leslie says:
I hated the end but then I watched the move and hated that even more
What is the one about the amish girl.
Andrea says:
yeah I heard the movie ends different, I haven't seen it yet
Rani says:
ya i felt the same... i'm trying to remember the name
but she gets pregnant
and aborts her baby
i can't remember if she aborts it on purpose or not
Leslie says:
I should read a few more of hers when I have time
There are so many books I am waiting to read right now.
Rani says:
i know it gets hard!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
House Rules Book Review Questions
Book Review Monday, September 13th at 9:30 EST
If you have not finished the book, hurry up! If you have not started it, go buy it today. It is an easy read.
1. Did you guess what happened at Jess' house before the end of the book?
2. Was it believable that Jacob would try to cover for Theo without understanding that he was implicating himself in the murder?
3. What do you think happened to the characters after they went to tell the judge about Theo being at the house? Were you upset that there was not more of a conclusion to the story?
4. Do you think an insanity defense if appropriate for someone with Asperger's? Why or why not?
5. Do you know anyone with Asperger's syndrome? Did the descriptions of Jacob fit what you know of that person?
6. Did you learn anything new about Asperger's syndrome?
7. What did you think of Oliver's romance with Jacob's mother?
Friday, August 27, 2010
Choices...
Ok, since our vote of choices 3 months out won...how about we continue with the order we have but, Nat, myself and Becky will bring our first 3 choices to the table at the September review??? And then following that, the person assigned for the 4 month out will bring their choice to the consecutive review and so forth. Does that make sense? So September's review will be House Rules
(which is super great!!!, if you haven't read it yet, get on it!), October review will be Innocent Traitor
, November review will be whatever Nat picks, December, is my pick and Jan is Becky's pick... Then in October, Andrea will bring her pick for February's review. I also had one other thought which everyone can say yeah or nay too...We could make December a free read month, since its a hectic time of year, and basically our review for that month we could each tell each other about the book we chose to read. Anyhow, just an option as we are still sorting this bookclub out. Let me know your thoughts! Thank you!
(which is super great!!!, if you haven't read it yet, get on it!), October review will be Innocent Traitor, November review will be whatever Nat picks, December, is my pick and Jan is Becky's pick... Then in October, Andrea will bring her pick for February's review. I also had one other thought which everyone can say yeah or nay too...We could make December a free read month, since its a hectic time of year, and basically our review for that month we could each tell each other about the book we chose to read. Anyhow, just an option as we are still sorting this bookclub out. Let me know your thoughts! Thank you!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Poll Again...
Ok I went ahead and did one more poll since the 6 months in advance choice won, but it was also suggested to do just 3 months out, but since I was unable to change the poll midway, I just decided to post the second. It's a 2 day quickie poll then we'll figure this all out :)
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
August Book of the Month...
My pick for August is "Innocent Traitor" by Alison Weir.
This book is a fictional portrait of Lady Jane Grey, the great neice of Henry the Eighth. It follows her turbulent life against the backdrop of Tudor power politics and religious upheaval , from her youth, to her nine day reign as Queen of England , to its tragic aftermath.
This book is a fictional portrait of Lady Jane Grey, the great neice of Henry the Eighth. It follows her turbulent life against the backdrop of Tudor power politics and religious upheaval , from her youth, to her nine day reign as Queen of England , to its tragic aftermath.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
The Poll...
Ok the Poll is posted to the right, please place your votes. Regardless of what happens, Suzi still has has next months choice and if we change, we will change after that.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Update...
Ok the idea was brought up that maybe we should choose the books a year in advance to give everyone time to get them? Or we could do 6 months and 6 months? What is everyone's thoughts? Suzi has the next choice, after that the rotation starts over or we could start our advance thing and everyone come in September with some ideas???? Thoughts?
Review of The Haunting of Hill House
Claire says:
k, i have a question i didn't post to start with.
did you think it was scary
Rani says:
Not really, I thought in parts it was going to get scary, but then again I like to read Steven King...
Leslie says:
Not really. It felt like a Stephen King. Strange but not scary
Natalie says:
I did! I love a good old school ghost story without all the blood and violence
Rani says:
It reminded me of the old Alfred Hitchcock movies
Claire says:
i read some stephen king just before reading it...
yes rani
its like a rebecca type book
Rani says:
totally!
Leslie says:
What's the rebecca book?
Rani says:
it's really good
you should read
Natalie says:
Yes, like Rebecca!
Leslie says:
Is it a Stephen King?
Claire says:
and then - the other question I had - did you guys like ANY of the characters?
Rani says:
Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier
old classic
Claire says:
my fav of all time I think
and the alfred hitcock movie is really good too if you like old movies
ok - so did you guys like any of the characters...
Leslie says:
I'll have to get it. The characters really bugged me how they turned on Eleanor. I thought they were totally mean
Claire says:
i thought almost all of them had annoying traits
Rani says:
Yes I have to agree... there wasn't one that I loved. SOmething kind of creepy about all of them
Claire says:
ya
Natalie says:
I agree! creepy
Claire says:
i thought that must have been her writing style.
ok...
Discuss the differences in the methods Dr. and Mrs. Montague use to study the paranormal. Which approach, if any, do you believe is most successful? Why?
Leslie says:
The relationship between the girls was really wired. It was a like a love hate things.
Claire says:
totally
Leslie says:
I think it was making the point that when looking at the two approaches that most of the time it's in our head.
Claire says:
(I had to search hard for these questions so bare with)
Natalie says:
you can make up your own if you want Claire
Rani says:
yup it was... I thought their approaches were kind of funny. Especially Mrs. Montague. I don't know definitely seemed archaic. Although, dr. montague at least was trying to measure temperature and stuff
Claire says:
i made up a few... kindof
Natalie says:
Leslie says:
I think when Mrs. Montague joined the tone of the book changed.
Claire says:
how so
Leslie says:
Since she was not scared on the life forms around the house you seemed to think that nothin
Oh, wait, I didn't mean to do that.
I am having a hard time forming my thoughts. Still waking up.
Natalie says:
I know, you are hard core Les.
Leslie says:
On some level it made sense that she was not afraid of them.
Since the life forms were hanging around in the house it was as if they had a message to tell and she was just trying to figure out what that was.
It was like they could not move on because there was unfinished business.
And, it almost seemed logial that she was trying to communicate with them instead of being scared.
I don't know, just a thought.
Claire says:
ya
i almost thought she was the most annoying...
Natalie says:
I know, me too!
Claire says:
Did Eleanor intentionally let her mother die, or is she merely suffering from bereavement and a mistaken feeling guilt?
Rani says:
Yup I agree...I also thought just as the book might be getting creepy/scary she came and wasn't afraid and therefore it made me not afraid. I also thought she was the most annoying too. I didn't want her to be there!
Leslie says:
I don't think she intentionally let her die. As hard as it was I think it gave her purpose.
Claire says:
ya, and i can't think of elenor as mean
maybe hystericall, and insecure - but not mean
Leslie says:
Her mother loved her. The whole book you got the feeling she was just looking for aceptance.
And someone to lover her
Rani says:
OH good question... I agree I don't think it was intentional. But I do think with her insecurities she did feel guilty
Claire says:
ya
Rani says:
Not that she should feel guilty
Claire says:
i agree.
Rani says:
but I think she blamed herself somewhat
Leslie says:
If it was more progressive, I was almost waiting for her to make a move on the other girl. Sorry can't remember her name right now.
Rani says:
theodora
Claire says:
ya - well and i feel that way all the time, even though i really shouldn't feel i did something wrong, i feel guilty...
Natalie says:
I know! I felt like there was some sort of lesbian connection there
Rani says:
totally, i'm the same way
Claire says:
it is speculated there was lesbianism there
Leslie says:
It was strange right?
Claire says:
in the 2000 movie version her character is bi
Natalie says:
really? funny
there is a movie?
Claire says:
there are a bunch
they are all bad though
Leslie says:
funny
Rani says:
agreed. serious, that is hilarious
is it called something else?
Claire says:
catherine zeta jones is theo
Leslie says:
Is there really a movie?
what?
Claire says:
there is an old one that is old but truer to the story called the haunting.
that is the best
Leslie says:
I'll have to look it up. w
What's the movie from 2000 called?
Claire says:
then catherine zeta is in one with the same name... and I think there is another newer one called hill house or something
Natalie says:
is it good?
Claire says:
no
i mean
MAYBE worth watching... but probably not
Why does Mrs. Montague believe that a loving attitude is more effective in a haunted house than a fearful one? Why do you think no paranomal events happen to her, who perhaps wants them the most?
Natalie says:
probably because she wanted them to happen to her
Leslie says:
Right, and how much of it is in our heads?
When you are scared your mind plays tricks on you.
Claire says:
i think even though she was annoying... she was also almost the most grounded or level headed... and since it was in other peoples heads as much as anything she wasn't able to scare herself into it...
Leslie says:
agreed
Rani says:
Agreed. I guess I've always tended to think those types of things choose the person, and maybe they want someone that is unsuspecting or scared.
Just because I don't believe in good paranormal activity
Natalie says:
Have any of you guys seen the movie Paranormal Activity?
seriously so scary
you really don't believe in it Rain?
Leslie says:
No.
Claire says:
no but now i will
Rani says:
yes i do, it totally exists
Claire says:
i LOVE scary movies.
Leslie says:
I love and hate them
Rani says:
do i believe in hauntings NO, but I totally believe in paranormal events and think that people are totally capable of opening the door to them, but I think its more satan
I have a love hate relationship with scary movies too. Although Paranormal Activity was too freaky and realistic for me to finish, as I was attempting to watch it by myself.
Natalie says:
you guys have to see Paranormal Activity..scaries movie I've ever seen
never watch it by yourself!!
you are crazy
Rani says:
um ya
Claire says:
ok last question group...
Do you think the haunting is real or in Elenor's mind - since most of the events happen to her and no one else?
Leslie says:
ok, I'll have to try and get it
Rani says:
good question, I didn't think of that...
Leslie says:
same.
Natalie says:
ok I am signing off so it's not ruined for me
thanks for the pick Claire, I like it!!
Leslie says:
bye Nat! See you soon. Before you get off do you know if Suzi has choosen the next book
I guess she is gone
Rani says:
Maybe it isn't now that I think of it...and that she is just mental. It would make more sense to me. I haven't heard about Suzi, but I can email her.
Natalie says:
no I am here
Rain, send Suzi a reminder for her book choice
Bye girls..see you in a few weeks Les!
Leslie says:
See you soon!
Rani says:
bye nat
Claire says:
leslie where do you live again?
Leslie says:
Paris
Claire says:
nice.
Natalie says:
Yes, I am making you all jealous
Claire says:
yes
Rani says:
very
Leslie says:
Rani you need to get out here!
Natalie says:
sorry I am going to miss you this week Rain..lets get together next time you are in town
bye bye!
Natalie has left the conversation.
Claire says:
ok
so when I read it I didn't think it was...
just in elenors head..
but maybe it is a combination of elenore being the most vulnerable to the house???
Rani says:
Right, good point, cause clearly it had previous similar events
Leslie says:
Yes she seemed to be the most vulnerable. I think they all experienced elements of what she did.
Claire says:
what did you guys think of the ending
Leslie says:
What do you think lead to her death?
Claire says:
i think the house wanted her... but that she wanted to stay with the house...
Rani says:
I thought the ending was very predictable
Claire says:
so she either thought she was doing what the house wanted... or something like that.
Leslie says:
right.
Why do you think the house wanted her?
Do you think it was the young girls from the past?
Claire says:
good question
idk
it would make the most sense to be some connection to the people who lived there in the past...
Rani says:
hmm that is a good question... that would make sense
Leslie says:
Rani what do you think?
Rani says:
I was initially assuming cause she was the most lonely and vulnerable
Claire says:
maybe because she had no where else to go... she could belong to the house?
Rani says:
it seemed like she didn't feel like she had anything to go back to, and she was so desperate to belong to someone or something
Claire says:
ya
Leslie says:
You just wonder why the house was they way it was. It must have something to do with the people that lived there before.
Rani says:
It is weird, or I always think of the polterguist thing, and wonder if it was built on a graveyard or something
Claire says:
well thanks for reading it and discussing! I love it - I think it is a classic worth reading...
ya
Rani says:
Yes good pick, I love reading stuff that is different, it was fun to read something creepy for a change
Leslie says:
Thanks for picking it. It's good to read different stuff.
k, i have a question i didn't post to start with.
did you think it was scary
Rani says:
Not really, I thought in parts it was going to get scary, but then again I like to read Steven King...
Leslie says:
Not really. It felt like a Stephen King. Strange but not scary
Natalie says:
I did! I love a good old school ghost story without all the blood and violence
Rani says:
It reminded me of the old Alfred Hitchcock movies
Claire says:
i read some stephen king just before reading it...
yes rani
its like a rebecca type book
Rani says:
totally!
Leslie says:
What's the rebecca book?
Rani says:
it's really good
you should read
Natalie says:
Yes, like Rebecca!
Leslie says:
Is it a Stephen King?
Claire says:
and then - the other question I had - did you guys like ANY of the characters?
Rani says:
Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier
old classic
Claire says:
my fav of all time I think
and the alfred hitcock movie is really good too if you like old movies
ok - so did you guys like any of the characters...
Leslie says:
I'll have to get it. The characters really bugged me how they turned on Eleanor. I thought they were totally mean
Claire says:
i thought almost all of them had annoying traits
Rani says:
Yes I have to agree... there wasn't one that I loved. SOmething kind of creepy about all of them
Claire says:
ya
Natalie says:
I agree! creepy
Claire says:
i thought that must have been her writing style.
ok...
Discuss the differences in the methods Dr. and Mrs. Montague use to study the paranormal. Which approach, if any, do you believe is most successful? Why?
Leslie says:
The relationship between the girls was really wired. It was a like a love hate things.
Claire says:
totally
Leslie says:
I think it was making the point that when looking at the two approaches that most of the time it's in our head.
Claire says:
(I had to search hard for these questions so bare with)
Natalie says:
you can make up your own if you want Claire
Rani says:
yup it was... I thought their approaches were kind of funny. Especially Mrs. Montague. I don't know definitely seemed archaic. Although, dr. montague at least was trying to measure temperature and stuff
Claire says:
i made up a few... kindof
Natalie says:
Leslie says:
I think when Mrs. Montague joined the tone of the book changed.
Claire says:
how so
Leslie says:
Since she was not scared on the life forms around the house you seemed to think that nothin
Oh, wait, I didn't mean to do that.
I am having a hard time forming my thoughts. Still waking up.
Natalie says:
I know, you are hard core Les.
Leslie says:
On some level it made sense that she was not afraid of them.
Since the life forms were hanging around in the house it was as if they had a message to tell and she was just trying to figure out what that was.
It was like they could not move on because there was unfinished business.
And, it almost seemed logial that she was trying to communicate with them instead of being scared.
I don't know, just a thought.
Claire says:
ya
i almost thought she was the most annoying...
Natalie says:
I know, me too!
Claire says:
Did Eleanor intentionally let her mother die, or is she merely suffering from bereavement and a mistaken feeling guilt?
Rani says:
Yup I agree...I also thought just as the book might be getting creepy/scary she came and wasn't afraid and therefore it made me not afraid. I also thought she was the most annoying too. I didn't want her to be there!
Leslie says:
I don't think she intentionally let her die. As hard as it was I think it gave her purpose.
Claire says:
ya, and i can't think of elenor as mean
maybe hystericall, and insecure - but not mean
Leslie says:
Her mother loved her. The whole book you got the feeling she was just looking for aceptance.
And someone to lover her
Rani says:
OH good question... I agree I don't think it was intentional. But I do think with her insecurities she did feel guilty
Claire says:
ya
Rani says:
Not that she should feel guilty
Claire says:
i agree.
Rani says:
but I think she blamed herself somewhat
Leslie says:
If it was more progressive, I was almost waiting for her to make a move on the other girl. Sorry can't remember her name right now.
Rani says:
theodora
Claire says:
ya - well and i feel that way all the time, even though i really shouldn't feel i did something wrong, i feel guilty...
Natalie says:
I know! I felt like there was some sort of lesbian connection there
Rani says:
totally, i'm the same way
Claire says:
it is speculated there was lesbianism there
Leslie says:
It was strange right?
Claire says:
in the 2000 movie version her character is bi
Natalie says:
really? funny
there is a movie?
Claire says:
there are a bunch
they are all bad though
Leslie says:
funny
Rani says:
agreed. serious, that is hilarious
is it called something else?
Claire says:
catherine zeta jones is theo
Leslie says:
Is there really a movie?
what?
Claire says:
there is an old one that is old but truer to the story called the haunting.
that is the best
Leslie says:
I'll have to look it up. w
What's the movie from 2000 called?
Claire says:
then catherine zeta is in one with the same name... and I think there is another newer one called hill house or something
Natalie says:
is it good?
Claire says:
no
i mean
MAYBE worth watching... but probably not
Why does Mrs. Montague believe that a loving attitude is more effective in a haunted house than a fearful one? Why do you think no paranomal events happen to her, who perhaps wants them the most?
Natalie says:
probably because she wanted them to happen to her
Leslie says:
Right, and how much of it is in our heads?
When you are scared your mind plays tricks on you.
Claire says:
i think even though she was annoying... she was also almost the most grounded or level headed... and since it was in other peoples heads as much as anything she wasn't able to scare herself into it...
Leslie says:
agreed
Rani says:
Agreed. I guess I've always tended to think those types of things choose the person, and maybe they want someone that is unsuspecting or scared.
Just because I don't believe in good paranormal activity
Natalie says:
Have any of you guys seen the movie Paranormal Activity?
seriously so scary
you really don't believe in it Rain?
Leslie says:
No.
Claire says:
no but now i will
Rani says:
yes i do, it totally exists
Claire says:
i LOVE scary movies.
Leslie says:
I love and hate them
Rani says:
do i believe in hauntings NO, but I totally believe in paranormal events and think that people are totally capable of opening the door to them, but I think its more satan
I have a love hate relationship with scary movies too. Although Paranormal Activity was too freaky and realistic for me to finish, as I was attempting to watch it by myself.
Natalie says:
you guys have to see Paranormal Activity..scaries movie I've ever seen
never watch it by yourself!!
you are crazy
Rani says:
um ya
Claire says:
ok last question group...
Do you think the haunting is real or in Elenor's mind - since most of the events happen to her and no one else?
Leslie says:
ok, I'll have to try and get it
Rani says:
good question, I didn't think of that...
Leslie says:
same.
Natalie says:
ok I am signing off so it's not ruined for me
thanks for the pick Claire, I like it!!
Leslie says:
bye Nat! See you soon. Before you get off do you know if Suzi has choosen the next book
I guess she is gone
Rani says:
Maybe it isn't now that I think of it...and that she is just mental. It would make more sense to me. I haven't heard about Suzi, but I can email her.
Natalie says:
no I am here
Rain, send Suzi a reminder for her book choice
Bye girls..see you in a few weeks Les!
Leslie says:
See you soon!
Rani says:
bye nat
Claire says:
leslie where do you live again?
Leslie says:
Paris
Claire says:
nice.
Natalie says:
Yes, I am making you all jealous
Claire says:
yes
Rani says:
very
Leslie says:
Rani you need to get out here!
Natalie says:
sorry I am going to miss you this week Rain..lets get together next time you are in town
bye bye!
Natalie has left the conversation.
Claire says:
ok
so when I read it I didn't think it was...
just in elenors head..
but maybe it is a combination of elenore being the most vulnerable to the house???
Rani says:
Right, good point, cause clearly it had previous similar events
Leslie says:
Yes she seemed to be the most vulnerable. I think they all experienced elements of what she did.
Claire says:
what did you guys think of the ending
Leslie says:
What do you think lead to her death?
Claire says:
i think the house wanted her... but that she wanted to stay with the house...
Rani says:
I thought the ending was very predictable
Claire says:
so she either thought she was doing what the house wanted... or something like that.
Leslie says:
right.
Why do you think the house wanted her?
Do you think it was the young girls from the past?
Claire says:
good question
idk
it would make the most sense to be some connection to the people who lived there in the past...
Rani says:
hmm that is a good question... that would make sense
Leslie says:
Rani what do you think?
Rani says:
I was initially assuming cause she was the most lonely and vulnerable
Claire says:
maybe because she had no where else to go... she could belong to the house?
Rani says:
it seemed like she didn't feel like she had anything to go back to, and she was so desperate to belong to someone or something
Claire says:
ya
Leslie says:
You just wonder why the house was they way it was. It must have something to do with the people that lived there before.
Rani says:
It is weird, or I always think of the polterguist thing, and wonder if it was built on a graveyard or something
Claire says:
well thanks for reading it and discussing! I love it - I think it is a classic worth reading...
ya
Rani says:
Yes good pick, I love reading stuff that is different, it was fun to read something creepy for a change
Leslie says:
Thanks for picking it. It's good to read different stuff.
Discussion Questions for tonight.
Discuss the differences in the methods Dr. and Mrs. Montague use to study the paranormal. Which approach, if any, do you believe is most successful? Why?
Do you believe Eleanor was justified in feeling resentful towards the others for treating her like a hysterical female? Or do you believe the others in the party saw something in Eleanor that alarmed them?
Did Eleanor intentionally let her mother die, or is she merely suffering from bereavement and a mistaken feeling guilt? Cite examples from the story that support your point of view.
Why does Mrs. Montague believe that a loving attitude is more effective in a haunted house than a fearful one? Why do you think no paranomal events happen to her, who perhaps wants them the most?
Do you think the haunting is real or in Elenor's mind - since most of the events happen to her and no one else?
Do you believe Eleanor was justified in feeling resentful towards the others for treating her like a hysterical female? Or do you believe the others in the party saw something in Eleanor that alarmed them?
Did Eleanor intentionally let her mother die, or is she merely suffering from bereavement and a mistaken feeling guilt? Cite examples from the story that support your point of view.
Why does Mrs. Montague believe that a loving attitude is more effective in a haunted house than a fearful one? Why do you think no paranomal events happen to her, who perhaps wants them the most?
Do you think the haunting is real or in Elenor's mind - since most of the events happen to her and no one else?
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
The Haunting of Hill House
Hey all-- I'm sorry I realized I forgot to post when our next review is, so I just did, but I want to make sure we are settled with the date being the 2nd Monday of the month??? So basically our review will be next Monday, August 9th at 9:30 MST. I think its important that we try to stick to a date. I realize not everyone will always be able to make it, but I think more people will be able to make if if we stay consistent withe the review date. Thanks you. Also we forgot to post the last review of Snow Flower and the Hidden Fan. I don't have my IM set to save, however if Nat or Andrea do, do you guys want to see if its in your history and post it??? The default is to save your messages, so it's very likely one of you have it. By the way, it was a great book. If you didn't get a chance to read it, I highly recommend it!!!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Next book club selection
Just a reminder, our July book we are reviewing next month is The Haunting of Hill House..we won't review House Rules until September!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Book Review Reminder
Just reminding everyone that we will be reviewing Snow Flower and the Secret Fan tomorrow night, Tuesday July 20th @ 9:30 p.m., hopefully everyone can make it. Talk to you then!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Review Questions for Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
1. Why do you think women continued subjecting their daughters to foot-binding despite knowing firsthand the intense pain and risks? Do you think Lily's foot-binding experience improved her relationship with her mother?
2. Do you think Lily's betrayal was an understandable mistake? Did the way she treated Snow Flower change your opinion of her?
3. Does Lily make atonement with the way she treats Snow Flower's family after she dies?
4. What is the significance of nu shu? If some men in 19th-century China knew about nu shu and “old same” friendships, why do you think they allowed these traditions to persist?
5. Lily writes her story so that Snow Flower can read it in the afterworld. Do you think Snow Flower would have told the story differently?
6. In the story, we are told again and again that women are weak and worthless. But were they really? In what ways did Lily and Snow Flower show their strength and value?
7. What is your overall opinion and rating of the book?
2. Do you think Lily's betrayal was an understandable mistake? Did the way she treated Snow Flower change your opinion of her?
3. Does Lily make atonement with the way she treats Snow Flower's family after she dies?
4. What is the significance of nu shu? If some men in 19th-century China knew about nu shu and “old same” friendships, why do you think they allowed these traditions to persist?
5. Lily writes her story so that Snow Flower can read it in the afterworld. Do you think Snow Flower would have told the story differently?
6. In the story, we are told again and again that women are weak and worthless. But were they really? In what ways did Lily and Snow Flower show their strength and value?
7. What is your overall opinion and rating of the book?
Review for Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Andrea, when are we reviewing this book? I know we usually do the second Tues of the month, but next Tues is my bday and I will be gone..
Leslie's July Pick
The Forgotten Garden, Kate Morton
A lost child: On the eve of the First World War, a little girl is found abandoned on a ship to Australia. A mysterious woman called the Authoress had promised to look after her - but has disappeared without a trace. A terrible secret: On the night of her twenty-first birthday, Nell Andrews learns a secret that will change her life forever. Decades later, she embarks upon a search for the truth that leads her to the windswept Cornish coast and the strange and beautiful Blackhurst Manor, once owned by the aristocratic Mountrachet family.A mysterious inheritance: On Nell's death, her granddaughter, Cassandra, comes into an unexpected inheritance. Cliff Cottage and its forgotten garden are notorious amongst the Cornish locals for the secrets they hold - secrets about the doomed Mountrachet family and their ward Eliza Makepeace, a writer of dark Victorian fairytales. It is here that Cassandra will finally uncover the truth about the family, and solve the century-old mystery of a little girl lost.
House Rules, Jodi Picoult
The author who wrote My Sister's Keeper
HOUSE RULES is about Jacob Hunt, a teenage boy with Asperger’s Syndrome. He’s hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject – in his case, forensic analysis. He’s always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do…and he’s usually right. But then one day his tutor is found dead, and the police come to question him. All of the hallmark behaviors of Asperger’s – not looking someone in the eye, stimulatory tics and twitches, inappropriate affect – can look a heck of a lot like guilt to law enforcement personnel -- and suddenly, Jacob finds himself accused of murder. HOUSE RULES looks at what it means to be different in our society, how autism affects a family, and how our legal system works well for people who communicate a certain way – but lousy for those who don’t.
A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini
Maybe most of you have read this one.
A Thousand Splendid Suns recounts the experiences and emotions of two Afghani women, Mariam and Laila, whose lives become entangled with the history of recent wars in their country. Mostly bleak and heart-rending, their story does offer the promise of hope and happiness in a land ravaged by warfare, gender conflicts, and poverty.
Friday, June 25, 2010
HI
FYI for all you obsessive book lovers, the new Kindle is now $189. I have been trying to talk Becky and Rani into buying one forever..it has seriously changed my life!! I bought mine for like $300, so it's a steal
Also, has anyone read Eat, Pray, Love? I am almost done...thoughts from those who have read it? It was so hyped up that I am not sure how I feel.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Welcome New Member!
Yeah are book club is already growing! We'd like to welcome new member Suzi Barkley! Suzi, I went ahead and added your name to our choices list, so you will have choices in August. We're so glad you wanted to join!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Review of The Help
Um, I had the assignment of copying and pasting the review, but I accidentally closed my window. And my settings are set to erase my conversations. Anyone have their's saved. Your default for MSN IM should be to save it. So sorry!!! We had a great review and an amazing read, thanks Jess! Next month we'll be reviewing Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, which is great so far!
Questions for the Help
- Who was your favorite character? Why?
- What do you think motivated Hilly? On the one hand she is terribly cruel to Aibileen and her own help, as well as to Skeeter once she realizes that she can’t control her. Yet she’s a wonderful mother. Do you think that one can be a good mother but, at the same time, a deeply flawed person?
- Like Hilly, Skeeter’s mother is a prime example of someone deeply flawed yet somewhat sympathetic. She seems to care for Skeeter— and she also seems to have very real feelings for Constantine. Yet the ultimatum she gives to Constantine is untenable; and most of her interaction with Skeeter is critical. Do you think Skeeter’s mother is a sympathetic or unsympathetic character? Why?
- How much of a person’s character would you say is shaped by the times in which they live?
- Did it bother you that Skeeter is willing to overlook so many of Stuart’s faults so that she can get married, and that it’s not until he literally gets up and walks away that the engagement falls apart?
- Do you believe that Minny was justified in her distrust of white people?
- Do you think that had Aibileen stayed working for Miss Elizabeth, that Mae Mobley would have grown up to be racist like her mother? Do you think racism is inherent, or taught?
- From the perspective of a twenty-first century reader, the hairshellac system that Skeeter undergoes seems ludicrous. Yet women still alter their looks in rather peculiar ways as the definition of “beauty” changes with the times. Looking back on your past, what’s the most ridiculous beauty regimen you ever underwent?
- The author manages to paint Aibileen with a quiet grace and an aura of wisdom about her. How do you think she does this?
- Do you think there are still vestiges of racism in relationships where people of color work for people who are white?
- What did you think about Minny’s pie for Miss Hilly? Would you have gone as far as Minny did for revenge?
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Claire's Pic
I thought about doing something more classic - since books like the Help are hard to come by. I was thinking about the following but since they are classic everyone may have read them - give me your feedback:
Jane Erye
Alice in Wonderland
Turn of the Screw
The Haunting of Hill House
Jane Erye
Alice in Wonderland
Turn of the Screw
The Haunting of Hill House
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Clarification
Rain...wasn't The Help the May read? I think somehow we have gotten messed up from what you have listed on the side for picks..
May and June's reads
Andrea and Claire, can you guys post what books you chose? Andrea, not sure if everyone knew we were reading Snow Flower. Claire, can't wait to see what your pick is!!
What up
How are ya'll enjoyin The Help? Best book you've read this year? Definitely in my top 5. Have any of you started Snow Flower and the Secret Fan? I just finished, and for all of you who love Chinese historical fiction, you will love it! I also highly recommend Empress Orchid, Memoirs of a Geisha, and The Joy Luck Club if you do..I just might bust those out and read them again!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Review of Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
Kecky says:
Ok. I really liked the language of this book. I thought it was surprisingly easy to understand even though it was written differently. I don't think I've ever read a book written that way. I liked how I understood what the expressions meant and thinking about the expression we would use.
Obviously there is a ton of symbolism i.e. religion, faith, believing in something you can't see. Psyche was such a good, sweet, believing little girl!
Rani says:
Yes I agree, lots of metaphors, which made it interesting, I think its the type of book the more you think about everything, the better you like it.
Andrea says:
I liked when she would say "said he, or said she" instead of she said. I did like Psyche the best of all.
Kecky says:
Did she stay good the whole way through?
did Orual ever believe?
Rani says:
Yes, in the end she was traveling as the queen
Kecky says:
psyche was?
Rani says:
and came across someone
no ORual
Kecky says:
oh
Andrea says:
Which she deserved
Kecky says:
What do you guys think of how ruthless and sexist men could be? Even to their own daughters?
Rani says:
anyhow a guy told her the story of the new god "cupid" etc
sorry i'm behind
anyhow, so she learned her sister ended up with i can't remember his name, cause i read it so long ago
Andrea says:
I really didn't like their dad
Rani says:
but she could only see him for part of the year
Kecky says:
her dad was evil
Rani says:
I hated her dad
Kecky says:
hated the king
What about The Fox? Did you think he was cynical?
did anyone ever end up loving orual? I feel bad she was ugly
Rani says:
Loved the Fox...was so glad Orual had him. You know i wondered if the one guard kind of loved her too, although he was faithful to his wife.
Maybe he just appreciated her
Bardia
Andrea says:
He was her saving grace, I liked him.
Kecky says:
I'm so glad she had the Fox, just wondering if he was a cynical non-believer. I thought the priest was bad. I hat that he was right about the sacrifice
or so far as i read..
Andrea says:
Maybe she really wasn't ugly
Kecky says:
true. eye of the beholder
Rani says:
I wondered how ugly she really was too
Kecky says:
maybe just for the standards back then..
Rani says:
Ya priest seemed evil, just wanted riches and power
Kecky says:
Dang! I wish I would have finished before this convo!
sorry. I got it last week and was gone all weekend.
Rani says:
I think Fox to extent was cynical. But he came from different background and beliefs.
Kecky says:
But he WAS greek. wouldn't a greek belive in the gods?
Andrea says:
I think that is what I liked about him, he saw all sides
Kecky says:
and maybe he didn't want the girls to believe certain things
Rani says:
I know good point, but didn't he just believe in different gods too. I think like Andrea said he saw all sides. He was a scholar
Kecky says:
I liked it. Wasn't a huge page turner but that's ok. Never read a book quite like it.
Andrea says:
It was a nice change, made me think
Kecky says:
Good
Can't wait to read The HElp!
Rani says:
Yes definitely makes you think. It was an interesting take on Greek Mythology for sure.
Kecky says:
Andrea, sorry Rani was late and sorry I had to download messenger!
Rani says:
I know me too!!!!
Andrea says:
np, I am good
Kecky says:
Ok. I'll put our convo on the blog. Les can add her comments tomorrow
or should I say "today" for her
Rani says:
ok sounds good right...either way.
Andrea says:
that sounds good
Kecky says:
Goodnight!
Rani says:
Ok you guys nighty night!
Andrea says:
Goodnight, you will like The Help, happy reading
Rani says:
yup so good!
Kecky says:
bye bye
Rani says:
bye
Andrea says:
bye
Rani says:
no there is les
Andrea says:
i just saw too
Kecky says:
uh oh..
Leslie has been added to the conversation.
Kecky says:
ok
read above Les
what did you think of the book?
Leslie says:
Hey, so sorry I somhow turned off my alarm.
Rani says:
Well I give you props for waking up so early
Kecky says:
you're fine. we were late
Leslie says:
It is not showing up for some reason
Andrea says:
I would have turned my alarm off too
Kecky says:
what time is it there?
Leslie says:
6:15
Kecky says:
yuck
Leslie says:
What were you guys talking about?
Rani says:
Les can't read about Becky
Kecky says:
gotcha
Rani says:
she just got signed in
lol
Kecky says:
just tell us what you thought Les
Leslie says:
I liked the book but it was a little hard to get through.
Kecky says:
Yea, not a page turner
Leslie says:
Maybe not as smart as the rest of you but after I read a few character profiles on the internet it made it a lot easier
Andrea says:
That is a good idea, I wish I would have done that
Becky says:
good idea
Rani says:
Ya it helps I did the same thing, I think the more you think about it and realize the more metaphors they used the more interesting it becomes
Becky says:
Kind of some Narnia messages going on
Christ, sacrifice, etc.
Rani says:
Love, redemption and christian life message
lol yup
Becky says:
Les have you read The Help too? Are jess and I the only ones?
Andrea says:
Yes he throws that into everything I think, I haven't read much of his stuff, but I have heard that
Leslie says:
No, I am just starting it now. I just got it in the mail.
Becky says:
oh good. I'm buying it tomorrow. I've heard SO many great things!
Ok. I really liked the language of this book. I thought it was surprisingly easy to understand even though it was written differently. I don't think I've ever read a book written that way. I liked how I understood what the expressions meant and thinking about the expression we would use.
Obviously there is a ton of symbolism i.e. religion, faith, believing in something you can't see. Psyche was such a good, sweet, believing little girl!
Rani says:
Yes I agree, lots of metaphors, which made it interesting, I think its the type of book the more you think about everything, the better you like it.
Andrea says:
I liked when she would say "said he, or said she" instead of she said. I did like Psyche the best of all.
Kecky says:
Did she stay good the whole way through?
did Orual ever believe?
Rani says:
Yes, in the end she was traveling as the queen
Kecky says:
psyche was?
Rani says:
and came across someone
no ORual
Kecky says:
oh
Andrea says:
Which she deserved
Kecky says:
What do you guys think of how ruthless and sexist men could be? Even to their own daughters?
Rani says:
anyhow a guy told her the story of the new god "cupid" etc
sorry i'm behind
anyhow, so she learned her sister ended up with i can't remember his name, cause i read it so long ago
Andrea says:
I really didn't like their dad
Rani says:
but she could only see him for part of the year
Kecky says:
her dad was evil
Rani says:
I hated her dad
Kecky says:
hated the king
What about The Fox? Did you think he was cynical?
did anyone ever end up loving orual? I feel bad she was ugly
Rani says:
Loved the Fox...was so glad Orual had him. You know i wondered if the one guard kind of loved her too, although he was faithful to his wife.
Maybe he just appreciated her
Bardia
Andrea says:
He was her saving grace, I liked him.
Kecky says:
I'm so glad she had the Fox, just wondering if he was a cynical non-believer. I thought the priest was bad. I hat that he was right about the sacrifice
or so far as i read..
Andrea says:
Maybe she really wasn't ugly
Kecky says:
true. eye of the beholder
Rani says:
I wondered how ugly she really was too
Kecky says:
maybe just for the standards back then..
Rani says:
Ya priest seemed evil, just wanted riches and power
Kecky says:
Dang! I wish I would have finished before this convo!
sorry. I got it last week and was gone all weekend.
Rani says:
I think Fox to extent was cynical. But he came from different background and beliefs.
Kecky says:
But he WAS greek. wouldn't a greek belive in the gods?
Andrea says:
I think that is what I liked about him, he saw all sides
Kecky says:
and maybe he didn't want the girls to believe certain things
Rani says:
I know good point, but didn't he just believe in different gods too. I think like Andrea said he saw all sides. He was a scholar
Kecky says:
I liked it. Wasn't a huge page turner but that's ok. Never read a book quite like it.
Andrea says:
It was a nice change, made me think
Kecky says:
Good
Can't wait to read The HElp!
Rani says:
Yes definitely makes you think. It was an interesting take on Greek Mythology for sure.
Kecky says:
Andrea, sorry Rani was late and sorry I had to download messenger!
Rani says:
I know me too!!!!
Andrea says:
np, I am good
Kecky says:
Ok. I'll put our convo on the blog. Les can add her comments tomorrow
or should I say "today" for her
Rani says:
ok sounds good right...either way.
Andrea says:
that sounds good
Kecky says:
Goodnight!
Rani says:
Ok you guys nighty night!
Andrea says:
Goodnight, you will like The Help, happy reading
Rani says:
yup so good!
Kecky says:
bye bye
Rani says:
bye
Andrea says:
bye
Rani says:
no there is les
Andrea says:
i just saw too
Kecky says:
uh oh..
Leslie has been added to the conversation.
Kecky says:
ok
read above Les
what did you think of the book?
Leslie says:
Hey, so sorry I somhow turned off my alarm.
Rani says:
Well I give you props for waking up so early
Kecky says:
you're fine. we were late
Leslie says:
It is not showing up for some reason
Andrea says:
I would have turned my alarm off too
Kecky says:
what time is it there?
Leslie says:
6:15
Kecky says:
yuck
Leslie says:
What were you guys talking about?
Rani says:
Les can't read about Becky
Kecky says:
gotcha
Rani says:
she just got signed in
lol
Kecky says:
just tell us what you thought Les
Leslie says:
I liked the book but it was a little hard to get through.
Kecky says:
Yea, not a page turner
Leslie says:
Maybe not as smart as the rest of you but after I read a few character profiles on the internet it made it a lot easier
Andrea says:
That is a good idea, I wish I would have done that
Becky says:
good idea
Rani says:
Ya it helps I did the same thing, I think the more you think about it and realize the more metaphors they used the more interesting it becomes
Becky says:
Kind of some Narnia messages going on
Christ, sacrifice, etc.
Rani says:
Love, redemption and christian life message
lol yup
Becky says:
Les have you read The Help too? Are jess and I the only ones?
Andrea says:
Yes he throws that into everything I think, I haven't read much of his stuff, but I have heard that
Leslie says:
No, I am just starting it now. I just got it in the mail.
Becky says:
oh good. I'm buying it tomorrow. I've heard SO many great things!
Discussion Questions For Tonight
Just a few..
1. What did you think of the language in the book and the way it was written? Was it hard for you to follow?
2. There is a theme of living by faith rather than living by sight. Psyche lives by faith. How is God asking you to live by faith right now rather than by sight?
3. Psyche has to give up her paradise in order to save and redeem Orual. This again parallels Christ. How are we called to enter into the suffering of Christ as we love others as ourselves?
4. The Fox offers "logical" explanations that he recognizes as weak in the end. How does he represent the world?
1. What did you think of the language in the book and the way it was written? Was it hard for you to follow?
2. There is a theme of living by faith rather than living by sight. Psyche lives by faith. How is God asking you to live by faith right now rather than by sight?
3. Psyche has to give up her paradise in order to save and redeem Orual. This again parallels Christ. How are we called to enter into the suffering of Christ as we love others as ourselves?
4. The Fox offers "logical" explanations that he recognizes as weak in the end. How does he represent the world?
Monday, May 10, 2010
Tomorrow's Review
Who will be joining us tomorrow at 9:30 p.m. for the review of Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold?
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
This Month's Book
Okay, be honest. How many of you are reading or have finished the book? I know Nat didn't read it and I just got it in the mail 2 days ago (stupid Amazon!) so I won't be heart broken if other people are slacking. Let me know.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Next Book for June Review
Ok let me know if I'm wrong, but I've been having several discussions and questions with people, but Jess did you finalize that we are reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett
? If so, The Help will be our April choice for May review. And for those of you that were at the review, with the discussion with Andrea, Andrea's choice of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
will be our May choice for June Review.
We will be reviewing Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold by C.S. Lewis on Monday, May 10th at 9:30 p.m. MST.
? If so, The Help will be our April choice for May review. And for those of you that were at the review, with the discussion with Andrea, Andrea's choice of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See will be our May choice for June Review. We will be reviewing Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold by C.S. Lewis on Monday, May 10th at 9:30 p.m. MST.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
The Book Thief Review
First of all what was everyone's overall impression of the book?
Claire says:
loved it
Natalie says:
I liked it. Although the ending SUCKED
Claire says:
saddest ending i have read
Andrea says:
I really liked it, sad though
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I am so sorry I never use this where do I add her, I don't see a tool bar at the top
Natalie says:
I like the WW2/Holocaust story told from the other side, usually it's from the Jewish population
Rani says:
on the main im thing
go to contacts
and add
Andrea says:
Good point, I liked that too
Rani says:
At first i wasn't sure about the perspective of the book, it weirded me out, but i ended up loving it
of course everyone dies eventually
Claire says:
i liked that death was the narrator
very unique
Rani says:
Yes it was
Andrea says:
For the first little while I kept forgetting who was talking
Natalie says:
I didn't love the perspective, but it was interesting
Claire says:
and I liked what the author said about not making him BAD
Andrea says:
Me too!!
Natalie says:
true
Rani says:
yup totally!
Claire says:
(Death bad... in the authors notes)
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
Me too
Natalie says:
so what was the thing he said to her at the end about humans? was that supposed to have some special meaning?
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
A few steps behind but I totally hated the ending
Claire says:
like that everyone died - or that there wasn't a lot of info about what she was doing in the present?
Rani says:
i read that somewhere it did, let me see if I can find....I know the ending was sad, but then again, it pulled it together having death be the narrator
Natalie says:
yeah, I wanted more info on her. For some reason I though she would end up with the Jewish guy in the basement
Andrea says:
I didn't really get the last message either.
I was sad Rudy died
Claire says:
yes - i wanted to know if she was with max too
Rani says:
ok i'm trying to find that part... i know i saw that somewhere and what he meant
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
True, I actually thought it was very cleaver how they pulled in dead
Natalie says:
ok good Rain, that was bugging me
I think she should have ended up with Max, there wasn't that much of an age difference
Andrea says:
I would have liked to have known more about how her life ended up
Natalie says:
and they had to kill off Rudy, i loved him
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
That would have been the obvious choice her together with Max
Rani says:
i know i know me too, and i died at the part she kissed him
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
At least he lived that made up a bit for Rudy dying
Natalie says:
ugghhh...so sad
Andrea says:
I would have liked the Max story line also
Claire says:
i loved that the mayors wife adopted her though
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
It was hardest for me to see him die
Natalie says:
yeah, glad that he didnt kill Max off
Claire says:
that was at least a lessening of the blow
Andrea says:
me too
Claire says:
did you guys cry out loud - or col
Andrea says:
I wish she would have kissed Rudy before he died!
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I feel like her connecting was greatest with Rudy
Rani says:
I know I wish she did too
Natalie says:
I kept thinking throughout the parts that they soldiers marched the Jews through the town..would I have done what Hans and Liesel/Rudy did? or would I have just stood by and watched
Claire says:
i didn't feel rudy as much as the author and you guys idk why.
Natalie says:
I shed a few tears Claire
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I cried as well.
Rani says:
i totally did
Andrea says:
I thought about that too Nat, I would have probably just stood there, wishing I was brave enough to do something
Claire says:
when HANS died.
that is who i loved
Rani says:
sorry if i'm distracted trying to find this part that nat was talking about
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
They were in life and death situations. I hate to say but I think I would have sat on the sidelines and I hate myself for feeling that way.
Natalie says:
it is just so hard to believe that the Holocaust happened. Seriously the most horrible atrocities committed and everyone just blindly followed Hitler
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I have been to that concentration camp. So I just had the wrost image in my mind
Andrea says:
Everytime I read anything about it, I try to wrap my mind around the hatred but I don't think I truly can grasp it
Rani says:
I know I know, I seriously can't even imagine...
Natalie says:
I know, it is uncomprehendible really
Rani says:
ok i'm going to paste first question from blog:
Discuss the symbolism of Death as the omniscient narrator of the novel. What are Death’s feelings for each victim? Describe Death’s attempt to resist Liesel. Death states, “I’m always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both.” (p. 491) What is ugly and beautiful about Liesel, Rosa and Hans Hubermann, Max Vandenburg, Rudy
Natalie says:
I hope I would have at least hid Jews in my basement or helped in some way
Rani says:
we kind have already done the first part
Natalie says:
Rain, did you find anything about what he said at the end?
hmm..what is ugly about them? I really can't think of much
Claire says:
o off topic - but i called my husband samauch and sakraul a couple times while reading.
i loved the mom
Andrea says:
Maybe just Hitler and his followers were the ugly ones
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I think just in generanl terms
Natalie says:
haha..I hated how much they used those terms! Got annoying
I liked Rosa too though
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I had to come around to Rosa.
Rani says:
gads i'm so annoyed i can't find it now Nat, i'll keep looking.
I had to too about Rosa, but I ended up loving her
Natalie says:
ok
Rani says:
once you realized she really cared
Andrea says:
I didn't really start to love her until she was hugging the accordion
Rani says:
and i think that was what was ugly and beautiful about her
Claire says:
there really weren't any charaters i didn't end up liking - other than the nazi's
Rani says:
i think she just didn't know how to show love
right
me too
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I thought he did an amzing job on character development.
I felt attached to all of the characters.
Natalie says:
I thought the mayor's wife was interesting..wish we could have known more about her
Claire says:
i loved her too in the end
especially the image of her standing there for leisle
Rani says:
I totally agree Les... you totally fall in love with them all
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I think it was characteristic of her personality. Closed, the mayors wife
Andrea says:
I would have liked to know more about her at the end and how her relationship with Liesel grew
Natalie says:
and what the Mayor was like, if he believed in the whole Nazi thing
Andrea says:
But I agree she was a sad, closed person
Claire says:
but leisel brough out something good in her
Rani says:
Yup definitely
Claire says:
i guess leisel did that to the whole town kindof
(another thing the author says in the end if i remember right)
Andrea says:
I think he did seeing that she was wearing a bathrobe and slippers with Swastikas on them
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I got the feeling that the mayors wife was conflicted
Natalie says:
yep
Claire says:
i think she was just sad
Rani says:
ok on to question 2: What is ironic about Liesel’s obsession with stealing books?
Natalie says:
that a book ended up saving her life?
Andrea says:
I think that it was because it ended up saving her life
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
agree
Rani says:
yup i think so too
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I think I almost wished I would have died with everyone else
Natalie says:
totally
Rani says:
I know I can't imagine watching everyone you love die
Natalie says:
once again, hated the ending!!! I would have loved a happy ending Holocaust story
Andrea says:
I would have, when you walk onto the street and find everyone you loved dead, I would have wished that
Claire says:
what a HORRIBLE time and place to live
but in a way the holocaust didn't have "happy endings"
Natalie says:
I know, I just can;t even imagine
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
Not to be off topic but a REALLY good Holocaust book I read last week was Sarah's Key. You guys should read it.
Natalie says:
I know, but maybe everyone lived and she could have married Max and lived happily ever after
Claire says:
i am actually reading a book about the phycology of the victims inspired by this - and even the survivors who had the happy ending didn't you know
Rani says:
OH i heard that was good
Natalie says:
Les, I was going to tell you to read it!
Set in Paris and all..
but SOOO sad
Rani says:
WHat book is that Claire?
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
SO SAD!
But really well done
Claire says:
Man's Search for Meaning
Natalie says:
interesting
I might need a happy book next though
Claire says:
not really a fun read
more educational i guess...
Andrea says:
I have been wanting to read that one. The Hiding Place is also a good one, with a better ending. I was going to suggest it for next month but thought we could use a Holocaust break
Rani says:
This period is so interesting but so utterly depressing
ME too especially after that conference talk
Natalie says:
I agree, fascinating
Rani says:
ok next question:
How does Rudy and Liesel's friendship change and grow throughout the novel? Death says that Rudy doesn’t offer his friendship “for free.” (p. 51) What does Rudy want from Liesel? Discuss Death’s statement, “The only thing worse than a boy who hates you [is] a boy who loves you.” (p. 52) Why is it difficult for Liesel to love Rudy?
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I think he wants loyalty and his trust in her grows with time
Natalie says:
I think she cant love because the only things she has loved have been taken away..mom and brother
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I think Liesel has had few people that have truly loved her in her life and she dosen't know who to express it
Claire says:
what was wrong with the mom btw - that was my questions
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
true nat
Natalie says:
not to mention she was like 12 yrs old
Andrea says:
I think she had to learn how to love and trust, the only people she ever loved before Himmel street were no longer part of her life
Natalie says:
Mom had to give her up because her husband was a communist and the Nazis were after their family or something
Claire says:
and the mom was sick too?
Rani says:
I think she was sick
it mentioned something like that I thought
Natalie says:
I don't remember her being sick?
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I must admit the begining was a bit confussing for me.
Andrea says:
She seemed more grown up to me than 12
Claire says:
it must have been a common thing to do back then...
Natalie says:
me too, took a little while to get into the book
the death perspective was confusing and buggy for a whil
while
Rani says:
I agree, but I totally appreciate the perspective once you figured it out
so unique
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
Yes totally, I didn't figure it out till toward the end. It had to be spelled out for me.
Claire says:
i wish we knew where death took them - but I guess part of the intrigue was that we didn't know.
ugh - when he described taking hans... i just couldn't stop cryiing
Natalie says:
I know!!
Rani says:
Right, I know... I think Hans was one of my favorite characters too!
ANd I was so sad for Liesel when he died
Natalie says:
me too
Andrea says:
He made Liesel into the person she ended up being
Rani says:
totally
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
YEs
He was the family she never hed
had
Rani says:
I was so grateful for him through the whole book, she needed him
Natalie says:
was any of this based on true events Rain? Was there really a Himmel Street or a bomb?
Andrea says:
He loved her from the very beginning
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
Rosa totally stepped it up when he went to war. I was proud of her.
Claire says:
i loved rosa sitting with his accordian.
Natalie says:
and what a horrible job he had to do!
Claire says:
like it has been said - the author was SO good at making them lovable characters
Rani says:
It didn't sound like it, i mean the author grew up in Nazi germany. But I think all the characters are fictional
Andrea says:
Me too, and I thought she would totally would freak out about the Max thing but she stepped up there too
Rani says:
Although, I could see them being based on people he knew
He said that he knew there were rebels that didn't follow the jews
Claire says:
the author grew up in n. germany - i thought he was a young guy
Natalie says:
I just wonder if there were whole streets totally wiped out like that. I'm sure there were
Andrea says:
I think his parents or grandparents did
Claire says:
o
Rani says:
sorry i didn't mean that, his mother grew up in nazi germany
and she told him the stories
Natalie says:
did any of you have grandpas that fought in WW2?
Rani says:
Claire says:
2
and one reminds me of hans
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
yea, he was shot in the leg
Natalie says:
cute. Were they in Germany?
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
He was actually in Austria
Andrea says:
I did but he was in the South Pacific
Claire says:
i guess i don't know - but ross (who walked me down the isle) was SOOO the quiet love for you type
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
He was on the ski patrol
Natalie says:
I've never actually talked to someone that was over there or a survivor of the Holocaust
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
Skiing with guns
Rani says:
I haven't either, that would be so interesting
Claire says:
we should go to the holocaust museum
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
Have you guys been to the museum in DC?
Natalie says:
skiing where? Crazy
Claire says:
that the auther mentions
Rani says:
yes
Natalie says:
YES so sad
something you can really only do once
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
Somewhere in Austria
Rani says:
and to auswhitz I know i spelled that wrong
ashwitz?
Natalie says:
that is awesome Les. You should have him write his memoirs
auschwitz
Rani says:
Thanks!
Claire says:
could you imagine even living in a time where there is a leader with that much hate... i guess it does still happen like in rawanda and iraq.
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I interviewed him once but he has only talked about it a few times. It is realy painful for him.
Rani says:
I can not fathom how he came into power
Natalie says:
I know. Crazy to think that similar things go on today, especially in Africa and there's not much that we do about it
Claire says:
i read some of his biography they reference in the book - and he didn't even seem like a charismatic or smart guy... weird
Natalie says:
Hitler?
Claire says:
ya
Andrea says:
I can't imagine just believing and doing the things that he said. But so many people did
Natalie says:
I know, how did he talk everyone into believing what he did?
Rani says:
Did you guys watch Inglorious Bastards?
Natalie says:
Like that story Max wrote for Liesel...seeds of hate get planted and keep growing
YES
Rani says:
sorry that is off the book, but I was so upset
Natalie says:
loved that movie
Rani says:
me too
Natalie says:
upset?
Rani says:
so makes you hate the nazis
yes
that movie
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I thought it was so cleaver how the author talked about the power of words and Hitler.
Rani says:
i was dying
Natalie says:
I really wish Inglorious Bastards was true and that was how it all ended
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
Should I see the movie or read the book?
Rani says:
i loved loved how the author used metaphorical language
Natalie says:
if you like Quentin Tarantino..fake over the top violence, like skinning Nazis
Rani says:
fyi the movie is super glory, but ingeniously filmed
Natalie says:
but awesome
Andrea says:
So true Les, that is how he got everyone on board. Telling them how great Germany could be
Claire says:
his short stories and his pictures that max wrote were excellent
Natalie says:
everyone should be blonde and blue eyed
Rani says:
Omg totally love those
Natalie says:
he would have loved Lola
Andrea says:
Max saw right though him
Natalie says:
what a weird reality he created in his head
Andrea says:
through
Claire says:
he wasn't even blonde and blue eyed that was what i don't get
Rani says:
I know?!!!
Natalie says:
Have you guys read The Hiding Place?
Another Holocaust story I LOVE
Rani says:
No but i want to
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
no, should I
Andrea says:
Yes love that book!!!
Natalie says:
YES
Andrea says:
YES!!
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
Will do
Andrea says:
One of my very favorites, ends a little better
Rani says:
OK last question I have, what was the most unforgettable part of The Book Theif?
Claire says:
the end
never read a story with everyone dying i don't think
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
agree
Natalie says:
I kind of think the book Max did for Liesel. Or when she saw him in the crowd and walked with him, even after they whipped her
Claire says:
I kindof got tearyed just reviewing that natalie .... im a tender heart
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
Not including the end the image of Max walking witht the other Nazi's was hard to get out of my mind
Natalie says:
me too, got goose bumps
Rani says:
I love the irony...joy/pain admist pain and suffering and how love and hate can exist mutually...I mean I just thought the whole thing was so beautifully written
Andrea says:
I think just grasping the hatred and horrible things that so many people had to experience
Natalie says:
I agree
Rani says:
Loved the quote: I have hated the words and I have loved the words."
Natalie says:
good pick Rani!
Andrea says:
I liked that too!
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
You wonder how many conflicted people there were but just feared for their life
Claire says:
ya
i thought about that too
Rani says:
THere can be darkness, despair and hope all at the same time. I'm glad you guys liked!
Natalie says:
I just want to know what Death meant at the end!!
Andrea says:
I would like to think quite a few
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
good pick
Rani says:
I wish i could find, i don't have my book, my nephew borrowed and i had found online earlier
Andrea says:
I enjoyed!
Natalie says:
ok, post it on the blog when you find it
Rani says:
k
Claire says:
steve borrowed my copy nat
should he join the book club?
Natalie says:
Oh good!
hahaha..and Liz too
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
This is totally fun glad I woke up for it.
Claire says:
loved it
Natalie says:
I liked it. Although the ending SUCKED
Claire says:
saddest ending i have read
Andrea says:
I really liked it, sad though
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I am so sorry I never use this where do I add her, I don't see a tool bar at the top
Natalie says:
I like the WW2/Holocaust story told from the other side, usually it's from the Jewish population
Rani says:
on the main im thing
go to contacts
and add
Andrea says:
Good point, I liked that too
Rani says:
At first i wasn't sure about the perspective of the book, it weirded me out, but i ended up loving it
of course everyone dies eventually
Claire says:
i liked that death was the narrator
very unique
Rani says:
Yes it was
Andrea says:
For the first little while I kept forgetting who was talking
Natalie says:
I didn't love the perspective, but it was interesting
Claire says:
and I liked what the author said about not making him BAD
Andrea says:
Me too!!
Natalie says:
true
Rani says:
yup totally!
Claire says:
(Death bad... in the authors notes)
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
Me too
Natalie says:
so what was the thing he said to her at the end about humans? was that supposed to have some special meaning?
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
A few steps behind but I totally hated the ending
Claire says:
like that everyone died - or that there wasn't a lot of info about what she was doing in the present?
Rani says:
i read that somewhere it did, let me see if I can find....I know the ending was sad, but then again, it pulled it together having death be the narrator
Natalie says:
yeah, I wanted more info on her. For some reason I though she would end up with the Jewish guy in the basement
Andrea says:
I didn't really get the last message either.
I was sad Rudy died
Claire says:
yes - i wanted to know if she was with max too
Rani says:
ok i'm trying to find that part... i know i saw that somewhere and what he meant
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
True, I actually thought it was very cleaver how they pulled in dead
Natalie says:
ok good Rain, that was bugging me
I think she should have ended up with Max, there wasn't that much of an age difference
Andrea says:
I would have liked to have known more about how her life ended up
Natalie says:
and they had to kill off Rudy, i loved him
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
That would have been the obvious choice her together with Max
Rani says:
i know i know me too, and i died at the part she kissed him
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
At least he lived that made up a bit for Rudy dying
Natalie says:
ugghhh...so sad
Andrea says:
I would have liked the Max story line also
Claire says:
i loved that the mayors wife adopted her though
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
It was hardest for me to see him die
Natalie says:
yeah, glad that he didnt kill Max off
Claire says:
that was at least a lessening of the blow
Andrea says:
me too
Claire says:
did you guys cry out loud - or col
Andrea says:
I wish she would have kissed Rudy before he died!
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I feel like her connecting was greatest with Rudy
Rani says:
I know I wish she did too
Natalie says:
I kept thinking throughout the parts that they soldiers marched the Jews through the town..would I have done what Hans and Liesel/Rudy did? or would I have just stood by and watched
Claire says:
i didn't feel rudy as much as the author and you guys idk why.
Natalie says:
I shed a few tears Claire
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I cried as well.
Rani says:
i totally did
Andrea says:
I thought about that too Nat, I would have probably just stood there, wishing I was brave enough to do something
Claire says:
when HANS died.
that is who i loved
Rani says:
sorry if i'm distracted trying to find this part that nat was talking about
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
They were in life and death situations. I hate to say but I think I would have sat on the sidelines and I hate myself for feeling that way.
Natalie says:
it is just so hard to believe that the Holocaust happened. Seriously the most horrible atrocities committed and everyone just blindly followed Hitler
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I have been to that concentration camp. So I just had the wrost image in my mind
Andrea says:
Everytime I read anything about it, I try to wrap my mind around the hatred but I don't think I truly can grasp it
Rani says:
I know I know, I seriously can't even imagine...
Natalie says:
I know, it is uncomprehendible really
Rani says:
ok i'm going to paste first question from blog:
Discuss the symbolism of Death as the omniscient narrator of the novel. What are Death’s feelings for each victim? Describe Death’s attempt to resist Liesel. Death states, “I’m always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both.” (p. 491) What is ugly and beautiful about Liesel, Rosa and Hans Hubermann, Max Vandenburg, Rudy
Natalie says:
I hope I would have at least hid Jews in my basement or helped in some way
Rani says:
we kind have already done the first part
Natalie says:
Rain, did you find anything about what he said at the end?
hmm..what is ugly about them? I really can't think of much
Claire says:
o off topic - but i called my husband samauch and sakraul a couple times while reading.
i loved the mom
Andrea says:
Maybe just Hitler and his followers were the ugly ones
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I think just in generanl terms
Natalie says:
haha..I hated how much they used those terms! Got annoying
I liked Rosa too though
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I had to come around to Rosa.
Rani says:
gads i'm so annoyed i can't find it now Nat, i'll keep looking.
I had to too about Rosa, but I ended up loving her
Natalie says:
ok
Rani says:
once you realized she really cared
Andrea says:
I didn't really start to love her until she was hugging the accordion
Rani says:
and i think that was what was ugly and beautiful about her
Claire says:
there really weren't any charaters i didn't end up liking - other than the nazi's
Rani says:
i think she just didn't know how to show love
right
me too
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I thought he did an amzing job on character development.
I felt attached to all of the characters.
Natalie says:
I thought the mayor's wife was interesting..wish we could have known more about her
Claire says:
i loved her too in the end
especially the image of her standing there for leisle
Rani says:
I totally agree Les... you totally fall in love with them all
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I think it was characteristic of her personality. Closed, the mayors wife
Andrea says:
I would have liked to know more about her at the end and how her relationship with Liesel grew
Natalie says:
and what the Mayor was like, if he believed in the whole Nazi thing
Andrea says:
But I agree she was a sad, closed person
Claire says:
but leisel brough out something good in her
Rani says:
Yup definitely
Claire says:
i guess leisel did that to the whole town kindof
(another thing the author says in the end if i remember right)
Andrea says:
I think he did seeing that she was wearing a bathrobe and slippers with Swastikas on them
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I got the feeling that the mayors wife was conflicted
Natalie says:
yep
Claire says:
i think she was just sad
Rani says:
ok on to question 2: What is ironic about Liesel’s obsession with stealing books?
Natalie says:
that a book ended up saving her life?
Andrea says:
I think that it was because it ended up saving her life
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
agree
Rani says:
yup i think so too
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I think I almost wished I would have died with everyone else
Natalie says:
totally
Rani says:
I know I can't imagine watching everyone you love die
Natalie says:
once again, hated the ending!!! I would have loved a happy ending Holocaust story
Andrea says:
I would have, when you walk onto the street and find everyone you loved dead, I would have wished that
Claire says:
what a HORRIBLE time and place to live
but in a way the holocaust didn't have "happy endings"
Natalie says:
I know, I just can;t even imagine
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
Not to be off topic but a REALLY good Holocaust book I read last week was Sarah's Key. You guys should read it.
Natalie says:
I know, but maybe everyone lived and she could have married Max and lived happily ever after
Claire says:
i am actually reading a book about the phycology of the victims inspired by this - and even the survivors who had the happy ending didn't you know
Rani says:
OH i heard that was good
Natalie says:
Les, I was going to tell you to read it!
Set in Paris and all..
but SOOO sad
Rani says:
WHat book is that Claire?
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
SO SAD!
But really well done
Claire says:
Man's Search for Meaning
Natalie says:
interesting
I might need a happy book next though
Claire says:
not really a fun read
more educational i guess...
Andrea says:
I have been wanting to read that one. The Hiding Place is also a good one, with a better ending. I was going to suggest it for next month but thought we could use a Holocaust break
Rani says:
This period is so interesting but so utterly depressing
ME too especially after that conference talk
Natalie says:
I agree, fascinating
Rani says:
ok next question:
How does Rudy and Liesel's friendship change and grow throughout the novel? Death says that Rudy doesn’t offer his friendship “for free.” (p. 51) What does Rudy want from Liesel? Discuss Death’s statement, “The only thing worse than a boy who hates you [is] a boy who loves you.” (p. 52) Why is it difficult for Liesel to love Rudy?
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I think he wants loyalty and his trust in her grows with time
Natalie says:
I think she cant love because the only things she has loved have been taken away..mom and brother
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I think Liesel has had few people that have truly loved her in her life and she dosen't know who to express it
Claire says:
what was wrong with the mom btw - that was my questions
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
true nat
Natalie says:
not to mention she was like 12 yrs old
Andrea says:
I think she had to learn how to love and trust, the only people she ever loved before Himmel street were no longer part of her life
Natalie says:
Mom had to give her up because her husband was a communist and the Nazis were after their family or something
Claire says:
and the mom was sick too?
Rani says:
I think she was sick
it mentioned something like that I thought
Natalie says:
I don't remember her being sick?
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I must admit the begining was a bit confussing for me.
Andrea says:
She seemed more grown up to me than 12
Claire says:
it must have been a common thing to do back then...
Natalie says:
me too, took a little while to get into the book
the death perspective was confusing and buggy for a whil
while
Rani says:
I agree, but I totally appreciate the perspective once you figured it out
so unique
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
Yes totally, I didn't figure it out till toward the end. It had to be spelled out for me.
Claire says:
i wish we knew where death took them - but I guess part of the intrigue was that we didn't know.
ugh - when he described taking hans... i just couldn't stop cryiing
Natalie says:
I know!!
Rani says:
Right, I know... I think Hans was one of my favorite characters too!
ANd I was so sad for Liesel when he died
Natalie says:
me too
Andrea says:
He made Liesel into the person she ended up being
Rani says:
totally
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
YEs
He was the family she never hed
had
Rani says:
I was so grateful for him through the whole book, she needed him
Natalie says:
was any of this based on true events Rain? Was there really a Himmel Street or a bomb?
Andrea says:
He loved her from the very beginning
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
Rosa totally stepped it up when he went to war. I was proud of her.
Claire says:
i loved rosa sitting with his accordian.
Natalie says:
and what a horrible job he had to do!
Claire says:
like it has been said - the author was SO good at making them lovable characters
Rani says:
It didn't sound like it, i mean the author grew up in Nazi germany. But I think all the characters are fictional
Andrea says:
Me too, and I thought she would totally would freak out about the Max thing but she stepped up there too
Rani says:
Although, I could see them being based on people he knew
He said that he knew there were rebels that didn't follow the jews
Claire says:
the author grew up in n. germany - i thought he was a young guy
Natalie says:
I just wonder if there were whole streets totally wiped out like that. I'm sure there were
Andrea says:
I think his parents or grandparents did
Claire says:
o
Rani says:
sorry i didn't mean that, his mother grew up in nazi germany
and she told him the stories
Natalie says:
did any of you have grandpas that fought in WW2?
Rani says:
Claire says:
2
and one reminds me of hans
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
yea, he was shot in the leg
Natalie says:
cute. Were they in Germany?
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
He was actually in Austria
Andrea says:
I did but he was in the South Pacific
Claire says:
i guess i don't know - but ross (who walked me down the isle) was SOOO the quiet love for you type
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
He was on the ski patrol
Natalie says:
I've never actually talked to someone that was over there or a survivor of the Holocaust
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
Skiing with guns
Rani says:
I haven't either, that would be so interesting
Claire says:
we should go to the holocaust museum
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
Have you guys been to the museum in DC?
Natalie says:
skiing where? Crazy
Claire says:
that the auther mentions
Rani says:
yes
Natalie says:
YES so sad
something you can really only do once
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
Somewhere in Austria
Rani says:
and to auswhitz I know i spelled that wrong
ashwitz?
Natalie says:
that is awesome Les. You should have him write his memoirs
auschwitz
Rani says:
Thanks!
Claire says:
could you imagine even living in a time where there is a leader with that much hate... i guess it does still happen like in rawanda and iraq.
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I interviewed him once but he has only talked about it a few times. It is realy painful for him.
Rani says:
I can not fathom how he came into power
Natalie says:
I know. Crazy to think that similar things go on today, especially in Africa and there's not much that we do about it
Claire says:
i read some of his biography they reference in the book - and he didn't even seem like a charismatic or smart guy... weird
Natalie says:
Hitler?
Claire says:
ya
Andrea says:
I can't imagine just believing and doing the things that he said. But so many people did
Natalie says:
I know, how did he talk everyone into believing what he did?
Rani says:
Did you guys watch Inglorious Bastards?
Natalie says:
Like that story Max wrote for Liesel...seeds of hate get planted and keep growing
YES
Rani says:
sorry that is off the book, but I was so upset
Natalie says:
loved that movie
Rani says:
me too
Natalie says:
upset?
Rani says:
so makes you hate the nazis
yes
that movie
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
I thought it was so cleaver how the author talked about the power of words and Hitler.
Rani says:
i was dying
Natalie says:
I really wish Inglorious Bastards was true and that was how it all ended
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
Should I see the movie or read the book?
Rani says:
i loved loved how the author used metaphorical language
Natalie says:
if you like Quentin Tarantino..fake over the top violence, like skinning Nazis
Rani says:
fyi the movie is super glory, but ingeniously filmed
Natalie says:
but awesome
Andrea says:
So true Les, that is how he got everyone on board. Telling them how great Germany could be
Claire says:
his short stories and his pictures that max wrote were excellent
Natalie says:
everyone should be blonde and blue eyed
Rani says:
Omg totally love those
Natalie says:
he would have loved Lola
Andrea says:
Max saw right though him
Natalie says:
what a weird reality he created in his head
Andrea says:
through
Claire says:
he wasn't even blonde and blue eyed that was what i don't get
Rani says:
I know?!!!
Natalie says:
Have you guys read The Hiding Place?
Another Holocaust story I LOVE
Rani says:
No but i want to
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
no, should I
Andrea says:
Yes love that book!!!
Natalie says:
YES
Andrea says:
YES!!
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
Will do
Andrea says:
One of my very favorites, ends a little better
Rani says:
OK last question I have, what was the most unforgettable part of The Book Theif?
Claire says:
the end
never read a story with everyone dying i don't think
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
agree
Natalie says:
I kind of think the book Max did for Liesel. Or when she saw him in the crowd and walked with him, even after they whipped her
Claire says:
I kindof got tearyed just reviewing that natalie .... im a tender heart
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
Not including the end the image of Max walking witht the other Nazi's was hard to get out of my mind
Natalie says:
me too, got goose bumps
Rani says:
I love the irony...joy/pain admist pain and suffering and how love and hate can exist mutually...I mean I just thought the whole thing was so beautifully written
Andrea says:
I think just grasping the hatred and horrible things that so many people had to experience
Natalie says:
I agree
Rani says:
Loved the quote: I have hated the words and I have loved the words."
Natalie says:
good pick Rani!
Andrea says:
I liked that too!
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
You wonder how many conflicted people there were but just feared for their life
Claire says:
ya
i thought about that too
Rani says:
THere can be darkness, despair and hope all at the same time. I'm glad you guys liked!
Natalie says:
I just want to know what Death meant at the end!!
Andrea says:
I would like to think quite a few
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
good pick
Rani says:
I wish i could find, i don't have my book, my nephew borrowed and i had found online earlier
Andrea says:
I enjoyed!
Natalie says:
ok, post it on the blog when you find it
Rani says:
k
Claire says:
steve borrowed my copy nat
should he join the book club?
Natalie says:
Oh good!
hahaha..and Liz too
ljensen22@hotmail.com says:
This is totally fun glad I woke up for it.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Book Thief Review - Tuesday 9:30 pm MST
Hi Ladies- Our Book Thief Review will be Tuesday night at 9:30 pm via MSN Messenger. Those that can not make the review can go ahead and leave comments here or after the review synopsis. I'm going to go ahead and post some questions here that we can discuss tomorrow night.
Synopsis:
Liesel Meminger is only nine years old when she is taken to live with the Hubermanns, a foster family, on Himmel Street in Molching, Germany, in the late 1930s. She arrives with few possessions, but among them is The Grave Digger's Handbook, a book that she stole from her brother's burial place. During the years that Liesel lives with the Hubermanns, Hitler becomes more powerful, life on Himmel Street becomes more fearful, and Liesel becomes a fullfledged book thief. She rescues books from Nazi book-burnings and steals from the library of the mayor. Liesel is illiterate when she steals her first book, but Hans Hubermann uses her prized books to teach her to read. This is a story of courage, friendship, love, survival, death, and grief. This is Liesel's life on Himmel Street, told from Death's point of view.
About the Author:
Australian author Markus Zusak grew up hearing stories about Nazi Germany, about the bombing of Munich and about Jews being marched through his mother’s small, German town. He always knew it was a story he wanted to tell.
“We have these images of the straight-marching lines of boys and the ‘Heil Hitlers’ and this idea that everyone in Germany was in it together. But there still were rebellious children and people who didn’t follow the rules and people who hid Jews and other people in their houses. So there’s another side to Nazi Germany,” said Zusak in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald.
At the age of 30, Zusak has already asserted himself as one of today’s most innovative and poetic novelists. With the publication of The Book Thief, he is now being dubbed a ‘literary phenomenon’ by Australian and U.S. critics. Zusak is the award-winning author of four previous books for young adults: The Underdog, Fighting Ruben Wolfe, Getting the Girl, and I Am the Messenger, recipient of a 2006 Printz Honor for excellence in young adult literature. He lives in Sydney.
Questions:
1. Discuss the symbolism of Death as the omniscient narrator of the novel. What are Death’s feelings for each victim? Describe Death’s attempt to resist Liesel. Death states, “I’m always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both.” (p. 491) What is ugly and beautiful about Liesel, Rosa and Hans Hubermann, Max Vandenburg, Rudy Steiner, and Mrs. Hermann?
2. What is ironic about Liesel’s obsession with stealing books?
3.
At the age of 30, Zusak has already asserted himself as one of today’s most innovative and poetic novelists. With the publication of The Book Thief, he is now being dubbed a ‘literary phenomenon’ by Australian and U.S. critics. Zusak is the award-winning author of four previous books for young adults: The Underdog, Fighting Ruben Wolfe, Getting the Girl, and I Am the Messenger, recipient of a 2006 Printz Honor for excellence in young adult literature. He lives in Sydney.
Questions:
1. Discuss the symbolism of Death as the omniscient narrator of the novel. What are Death’s feelings for each victim? Describe Death’s attempt to resist Liesel. Death states, “I’m always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both.” (p. 491) What is ugly and beautiful about Liesel, Rosa and Hans Hubermann, Max Vandenburg, Rudy Steiner, and Mrs. Hermann?
2. What is ironic about Liesel’s obsession with stealing books?
3.
How does Rudy and Liesel's friendship change and grow throughout the novel? Death says that Rudy doesn’t offer his friendship “for free.” (p. 51) What does Rudy want from Liesel? Discuss Death’s statement, “The only thing worse than a boy who hates you [is] a boy who loves you.” (p. 52) Why is it difficult for Liesel to love Rudy?
4. What was the most unforgettable part of The Book Theif?
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