The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Hands down, "The Book Thief" was one of the best books we've read.  It's unique.  It's engaging.  And we all decided that it actually lives up to the praise on it's cover:  "BRILLIANT and hugely ambitious...It's the kind of book that can be LIFE CHANGING."

It's set during WWII, narrated by Death, and centers on Liesel Meminger - a young German girl with a huge heart, an indomitable spirit, and a love of books and words. 

We were amazed by the structure of the story, the depth of the characters, and the obvious intention that went into putting this whole book together. 

Read it.  Savor it.  You won't be disappointed.


After reading "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" and "The Book Thief", we've decided to stay with the WWII theme for a while.  Next month, we're trying something new.  Everyone is picking a book by C.S. Lewis, and we'll share our collective thoughts and reactions during April's meeting.  Then we'll conquer a WWII fantasy, and alternative history, and a memoir.  We'll conclude our theme with a trip to D.C. to visit the Holocaust Museum.  I'm really looking forward to the next several months. 

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

I fell in love with this month's read while I was traveling in Europe.  After a very busy week, I was ordered to sit and watch the world go by, armed only with a view of the Irish coast, and the delights of this book.  In a letter to my friends at home, I described it as deliciously engaging and refreshing.  Needless to say, it was immediately put it on the Paige Turner's "To Be Read" list. 

And after our meeting on Monday, I can happily report that the other members enjoyed it as much as I did.  *whew!*  In fact, several ladies said it was one of their favorites from all the books we've read together as a group.  High praise indeed!

Getting everyone together this month was no small feat.  We had to cancel our original meeting because of Snowmageddon.  And with so much snow remaining on the side streets, we were worried about having enough extra space to park in our normal neighborhood location.  Enter our solution: invade Panera Bread.  It was our first non-livingroom gathering, but I think it worked rather well.  I'd definitely be open to meeting at an eatery again.

In any case, on to the book!  We talked about what it was like to read an epistolary novel.  We thought that the authors -- Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows -- did a wonderful job of capturing so many different voices.  We talked about the characters, the ones we loved and the ones we loved to hate.  I thought it was interesting that one of our members commented that she didn't feel very connected to the main character, Juliet.  We talked about how that might have been because most of the letters are from her (sharing about others), or to her (again, sharing about others).  There were very few letters that gave an outside glimpse of Juliet, sharing anecdotes, etc. 

We talked about the different stories shared through the books letters - what life was like, how the war impacted people from both side, how the experiences of the war changed those who lived through them, and impacted those who came after.  For example, could you imagine having to decide in one day between sending your child away to live in a foreign country or choosing keep them close knowing the invading army is on it's way?  What would you do?  How would you handle it?  


We hope that this novel will survive it's current popularity and become a modern classic.  It's smart, funny, clever, and warm and still finds a way to share important bits of the WWII era throughout the book. 

Let's hope for warmer weather and clearer roads in March.  Our next book continues the WWII theme.  The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

P.S. - If you'd like to read what the Storie Delle Sorelle book club thought of the Potato Peel Pie Society, click here.

A Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

We started the new year off with a new location, and a new friend!  (Plus, it was great to have Sarah back with us.  She doesn't get to come often, but when she does it's always a treat.)

The book for this month was "A Change of Heart."  For some of us (myself included), it was our first trip into the land of Jodi Picoult.  I enjoyed how the book had many narrators, and how the characters and plot developed.  With that being said, I found myself not really engaged in the book until about halfway through.  Not everyone had that experience, but it was that way for me.

We talked about the core subject matter:  muscle-memory and how that may impact organ donation.  We talked about parenting, forgiveness, revenge and faith.  We talked about how Picoult -heavily- borrows from the movie "The Green Mile," but how you almost excuse her for it.  (We thought she was clever to acknowledge the influence by one character giving the nickname "Green Mile" to another.  *wink wink nudge nudge*)  We talked about the many 'changes of heart' that emerged through the book.  ...We talked a lot!

And we also did a lot of laughing and catching up and rabbit trailing.

It was a good month, and a great way to start the year!  Thanks to Katie for suggesting this one.  I think I'd like to read more by Picoult. Any suggestions?  I've been told that "My Sister's Keeper" and "Handle with Care" are particularly good.

Next up: "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

The Meaning of Night by Michael Cox

First, let me give a very public "Atta girl!" to Kristin.  She finished the book with time to spare (That's a big deal for Kristin.  She's super busy and stuff.  Go ahead and do a quick happy dance with her.) 

On to the book.  It was our first thriller, and could best be described as "Victorian Noir."  It's written as a confession, so you spend the entire book inside one character's head.  As the book progresses, you're able to make more sense of what that character is like, and in turn, that knowledge changes how you view the supporting characters.  This is what I mean:  Have you ever had a friend who exaggerates, and who usually views himself as completely innocent in every situation?  That's the frame of the main character.  So later in the book, when he's talking about how horribly unjust something is, or how terrible someone used to treat him, I gave those comments less weight because I had more insight on his character.  I found that phenomenon interesting.

At the end of the day, we thought the book could have been a few hundred pages shorter and still included all the details it needed to work.  (Translation:  it gets pretty slow at times.)  But I think we enjoyed it.  Our conversation centered on the topics of justice, revenge, parental influence, self-centeredness, betrayal, and guilt. 

Speaking of guilt, here's the thing we found most interesting about Cox's book.  It opens with the murder of an innocent man.  The main character then goes on a reminiscent journey to fill you in on all the factors leading up to that moment. Those factors and paths consume all the primary characters.  The protagonist doesn't regret any of it.  But at the very end, he admits that he feels guilt over the murder of that innocent man.  It makes me wonder of that guilt was why he wrote the confession in the first place?  Not just to share his story, but to absolve for the one crime he truly regretted.  (That's a bonus thought for you).

Paige Turners, what do you think?

A Murder Mystery!

Our next book choice was quite long, so we decided to take mercy on our reading schedules and have a party this month.  I'd never hosted or even attended a Murder Mystery before, but I think our get together worked out quite nicely.

The plot of our story revolved around a death at the Annual Superhero Assembly.  Due to a horrid oversight on my part, I don't have any pictures of the evening, but this was our cast of characters:

• Electra (played by Regina) - Electrical powers - Electra is a medical doctor by day and a super hero by night. This healer is able to draw upon electrical energy to fight her foes. Electra is one of the preeminent superheroes in the Justice Confederation and some say she is the unspoken leader.
• Shiver (played by Katie) - Powers of ice - This cold hearted hero is rumored to be in the superhero realm for purely selfish reasons…attention. There have been many recent reports in the news of Shiver not coming to the aid of victims around the city because she is out shopping, getting her nails done or doing self-centered things. However, when Shiver does come to help damsels in distress, her rescue rate is 100%.
• Stingmata (played by Kristin) - Powers of poison - Stingmata’s toxic personality can be rather annoying to those around her. She is full of energy and sometimes loses herself in the moment. However, she is typically the first superhero on the scene of a crime and does her job with vigor and integrity.
• Blue Blaze (played by Erinn) - Powers of fire - Blue Blaze is known for her fiery personality. An attorney by day, she is outspoken and can be quite callous on occasion. She is one of the most powerful superheroes in the Justice Confederation and sometimes she walks a fine line on what side of the law she is truly on.
• Nerdon (played by Christine) - Powers of all things nerdy - Nerdon is the quintessential nerd with amazing but nerdy super powers. Nerdon is able to draw upon all things nerdy to battle enemies. So watch out for Nerdon’s flying protractorangs, robotic monkeys and her ergonomically created sword.
• The Red Wonder (played by Mandy) - Magical rap lyric powers - The Red Wonder is a famous rap artist by day and super rapper by night! Her lyrics of iron will counteract any evil villain’s attacks. The Red Wonder is a force to be reckoned with…especially with her faithful microphone.
• The Wisher (played by Amanda) - Powers of wishes - The Wisher is one of the most caring and accommodating superheroes in the Justice Confederation. However, watch out for her sneaky side if she tricks you into making three wishes.
• Ms. Fabulous (played by Kate) - Powers of being completely fabulous - Ms. Fabulous is…well…she’s completely fabulous! Her perfect body, perfect hair, charismatic personality and trusty hand-held mirror are all that she needs to bring the criminals to justice. The lawbreakers stop in awe at the sight of Ms. Fabulous… just in time for the other superheroes to take control of the scene.
  
• The Jester (played by special guest Laura) - Powers of humor - This comedian (comedienne) is a hoot to be around and was once voted everyone’s favorite super hero in the Justice Confederation. The Jester uses the power of humor to defeat villains. Criminals don’t know what’s hit them when the jokes start flying!

We had such a great time!  Nerdon was the star of the show.  Christine's costume was completely rockin', and she stayed in character the whole night.  That was no easy task.  After a few rounds of games and clues, we made our final predictions and found our killer.  We thought the ending was a little "Scooby Doo"ish (meaning, you didn't quite have all the clues you needed to find the answer), but we certainly had a good time trying to piece it all together.

I hope the night of mystery and mayhem helped us all to look forward to our December book:  The Meaning of Night.

Romeo and Juliet

The timeless Shakespeare love story. Some of us had to read Romeo and Juliet in high school, others read it for the first time this past month...but all of us were familiar with the story. How can you not be?

What makes Shakespeare so wonderful to read is this: he can play linguistic gymnastics with a familiar story. In Romeo and Juliet, the chorus tells you the end of the story right off the bat. "A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life." But then you start reading, and laughing, and hoping... and becoming drawn into the comedy and drama of the story. It was very fun for our group to re-visit this story as adults... because we can read between the lines to get all the bad jokes! *grin*

Our conversation jumped all over the place (as usual), but we touched on all the major themes and topics of the play. Also, many of us associate "Romeo and Juliet" with the Baz Luhrman movie. It was interesting how we kept comparing what we read in the play to what we remember seeing in the movie. We love the Montagues and aren't really big fans of the Capulets. Tybalt is lame. Benvolio rocks. Romeo and Juliet have it bad. Paris really gets a raw deal in this story. And Friar Laurence wasn't doing anyone any favors with his meddling. Two of our favorite quotes: "You kiss by the book" and "By my heel I care not."

We concluded the night by finding a 9th grade final exam for Romeo and Juliet and testing our knowledge. I'm proud to report that we passed with flying colors! Whoo hoo!

Next month will be a bit of a treat. We are reading "The Meaning of Night" by Michael Cox, and will have a murder mystery theme to our next gathering. I've never done one of these before, so I think it will be lots of fun!

Till then... Happy Reading!!

While the Daffodils Danced

After a busy Labor Day weekend, it was nice to sit down and chat with my book club pals. We were a slightly smaller group this month, and we stayed remarkably on topic. Even with some later arrivals and opening chit-chat, we were able to get through our thoughts in time to see the Nadal/Monfils match of the US Open. Not bad, girls! Not bad.

Our basic synopsis of "While the Daffodils Danced" -- it feels like a Lifetime movie written down. You can see major plot points coming, and everything wraps up in nice little bows. (While some readers may find that annoying, I think others don't mind.)

I loved the minor characters in this book. We thought most of the major characters remained the same throughout the story, but the journeys of the mother and father were quite beautiful. Another minor character that we all loved was Nurse Sarah. She comforts Cara just after she gives birth to the baby girl she is giving up for adoption. She tells Cara, "What a wonderful thing, to give someone life." As a group, we discussed adoption, and how this was a beautiful way to frame that decision.

One thing we giggled about: finding the chapter title in the chapter. You could make it a little game with yourself as you read. Kind of like waiting to eat your popcorn at the movies until the reason for the title happens. Example: In FoTR, halfway through the movie at the council meeting in Rivendale, Elrond makes the proclamation, "So be it. Nine companions. The Fellowship of the Ring." --> You are now free to eat your popcorn!


Looking ahead: Our next meeting is on Tuesday, October 13th. We will discuss Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare.

November's meeting has been moved to Tuesday, November 17th. We will discuss The Meaning of Night by Michael Cox. I'm working on some fun things for this night. You won't want to miss it...or be late!