It was a very close vote this time. We will be reading The Paris Wife, by Paula McLain. Discussion will begin Wednesday, September 21.
Enjoy your month in Paris!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
August/September Book Club Choices
Great discussion on Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter. I just finished reading his first novel, Hell at the Breech, and, while good, it wasn't nearly as good.
The next book choices, offered by Bec, are:
Caleb's Crossing by Gerladine Brooks;
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett;
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain; and
A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron.
Please have your votes to me by Sunday, August 14, by emailing me at kzmclain@comcast.net.
The next book choices, offered by Bec, are:
Caleb's Crossing by Gerladine Brooks;
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett;
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain; and
A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron.
Please have your votes to me by Sunday, August 14, by emailing me at kzmclain@comcast.net.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Which letter was crooked?
I’m a big fan of Jan Karon’s Mitford novels. As you probably know, these novels take place in the fictional pretty little North Carolina town of Mitford. The characters are eccentric but sweet. Happiness and joy abound.
Contrast this with Franklin’s story that takes place in rural Mississippi. Dark and mean. Many of the characters are angry and violent. Poverty abounds.
I wonder if one author’s south is more accurate than the other’s. Probably not. Probably snapshots of different lives.
I LOVED this book, and will be very interested to see if others felt the same. I can’t remember the last time I cared so much about a character in a book as I did about Larry – poor Larry who carried such a difficult burden for such a long time.
The story, while very dark, was absolutely compelling. I never believed that Larry was guilty of the original crime, but Silas’ role in the whole event took me by surprise. I liked Silas, but am not sure I can ever forgive him for making Larry carry this burden for so long.
Having said that, I will say that it’s also been a long time since I’ve wept over a book, and the ending of this novel made me cry like a baby. What Silas gave to Larry was so simple, and so absolutely dear and heartfelt.
I have never read anything by Tom Franklin, but I think he is one of the best writer’s I’ve ever read. His descriptions were magnificent. When he would describe food, I could taste it. When he would describe a scene, I could smell the dust in the air and see the sun coming through the trees. His writing was astounding.
Obviously Wallace Stringfellow was a terrible fellow. But Larry’s father and Cindy’s father were evil, plain and simple. Three very despicable characters.
Such a picture Franklin drew about the poverty and the prejudice that Larry and Silas grew up with! I was horrified at the scene where Larry’s dad made Larry and Silas fight over the gun, and then mocked Larry over his stuttering. I was angry at Silas for holding Larry on the ground, resulting in Larry calling him a nigger, and then holding a grudge for so many years. But what a picture Franklin painted of the anger of youth, especially when that anger is fueled by evilness and poverty.
Was the book too dark for you?
Who did you think was the most evil character?
Did Silas’ role take you by surprise?
And most importantly, what in the hell does the title Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter mean?
Contrast this with Franklin’s story that takes place in rural Mississippi. Dark and mean. Many of the characters are angry and violent. Poverty abounds.
I wonder if one author’s south is more accurate than the other’s. Probably not. Probably snapshots of different lives.
I LOVED this book, and will be very interested to see if others felt the same. I can’t remember the last time I cared so much about a character in a book as I did about Larry – poor Larry who carried such a difficult burden for such a long time.
The story, while very dark, was absolutely compelling. I never believed that Larry was guilty of the original crime, but Silas’ role in the whole event took me by surprise. I liked Silas, but am not sure I can ever forgive him for making Larry carry this burden for so long.
Having said that, I will say that it’s also been a long time since I’ve wept over a book, and the ending of this novel made me cry like a baby. What Silas gave to Larry was so simple, and so absolutely dear and heartfelt.
I have never read anything by Tom Franklin, but I think he is one of the best writer’s I’ve ever read. His descriptions were magnificent. When he would describe food, I could taste it. When he would describe a scene, I could smell the dust in the air and see the sun coming through the trees. His writing was astounding.
Obviously Wallace Stringfellow was a terrible fellow. But Larry’s father and Cindy’s father were evil, plain and simple. Three very despicable characters.
Such a picture Franklin drew about the poverty and the prejudice that Larry and Silas grew up with! I was horrified at the scene where Larry’s dad made Larry and Silas fight over the gun, and then mocked Larry over his stuttering. I was angry at Silas for holding Larry on the ground, resulting in Larry calling him a nigger, and then holding a grudge for so many years. But what a picture Franklin painted of the anger of youth, especially when that anger is fueled by evilness and poverty.
Was the book too dark for you?
Who did you think was the most evil character?
Did Silas’ role take you by surprise?
And most importantly, what in the hell does the title Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter mean?
Monday, June 27, 2011
July book
Votes are in, and we chose Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, by Tom Franklin.
Discussion will begin August 5. Happy reading!
Discussion will begin August 5. Happy reading!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Vote for your next book!
Our next book choices are: Celia Garth, by Gwen Bristow; How High the Moon, by Sandra Kring; Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, by Tom Franklin; The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott, by Kelly O'Connor McNees; and Spooner, by Pete Dexter.
Please email me your votes (kzmclain@comcast.net) by Sunday, June 26. Happy reading.
Please email me your votes (kzmclain@comcast.net) by Sunday, June 26. Happy reading.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Secret Life
For me, reading The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes was a bit like eating fruit for dessert – it tastes good, but it doesn’t really completely satisfy.
I have never read anything by Diane Chamberlain, who appears to be quite prolific. Some of the reviews of this book on Amazon indicated it took a bit longer to get into this book than some of the others she has written. I can’t compare, but I will say that it took some time for me to get into this book. Once I did, I found the author’s writing to be quite good, drawing me into wanting to read the next chapter.
Having said this, I struggled with this book on a number of accounts. I have said before, if one wants to enjoy reading, one has to very often suspend reality. And so I tried very hard to convince myself that it was possible that a 16-year-old girl with no parents could be convinced to become involved in a kidnapping. And not just an ordinary kidnapping (is there such a thing?), but the kidnapping of a very well known public figure. However, CeeCee seemed to be so sensible in all other aspects of her life that it really was hard for me to overcome this nagging doubt that this basic element of the book would happen.
I was intrigued by the underground network that helped her escape with Cori, and wondered if such a thing actually exists. Don’t know. Seems unlikely.
The other thing that I really struggled with was Cori’s rejection of her mother during her college years and after. I recognize that the boyfriend was largely responsible for this rejection, but I felt as if the author didn’t present Cori and Eve’s relationship in such a way to indicate that Eve had been very overprotective. There were a few comments by Eve’s husband that he should allow Cori to be hurt, experience shyness, etc., but not to the extent that you would totally reject your mother.
Furthermore, it seemed somewhat unrealistic that the governor/university president would so quickly fall in love with his daughter; likewise, the sister. Finally, recognizing Cori’s intense dislike for her mother, it troubled me to see just how quickly she forgave her and came around to her side. Though, maybe that just indicated that her anger was never really genuine.
This review makes it sound as though I heartily disliked this book, and I didn’t. As I said, I found it very readable once I got into it. I liked most of the characters (not Timothy and his brother, of course). I enjoyed Marian very much, and also liked Eve’s husband (though I have to admit he was much more forgiving of someone who had fed him so many untruths than I would have been).
Having Eve be so sick with rheumatoid arthritis provided depth to the book that I liked. It provided a realistic element.
I’m curious to know if all of you were able to suspend reality better than me. Also, who were your favorite characters and your least favorite characters, and why? Would you read anything else by Diane Chamberlain?
I have never read anything by Diane Chamberlain, who appears to be quite prolific. Some of the reviews of this book on Amazon indicated it took a bit longer to get into this book than some of the others she has written. I can’t compare, but I will say that it took some time for me to get into this book. Once I did, I found the author’s writing to be quite good, drawing me into wanting to read the next chapter.
Having said this, I struggled with this book on a number of accounts. I have said before, if one wants to enjoy reading, one has to very often suspend reality. And so I tried very hard to convince myself that it was possible that a 16-year-old girl with no parents could be convinced to become involved in a kidnapping. And not just an ordinary kidnapping (is there such a thing?), but the kidnapping of a very well known public figure. However, CeeCee seemed to be so sensible in all other aspects of her life that it really was hard for me to overcome this nagging doubt that this basic element of the book would happen.
I was intrigued by the underground network that helped her escape with Cori, and wondered if such a thing actually exists. Don’t know. Seems unlikely.
The other thing that I really struggled with was Cori’s rejection of her mother during her college years and after. I recognize that the boyfriend was largely responsible for this rejection, but I felt as if the author didn’t present Cori and Eve’s relationship in such a way to indicate that Eve had been very overprotective. There were a few comments by Eve’s husband that he should allow Cori to be hurt, experience shyness, etc., but not to the extent that you would totally reject your mother.
Furthermore, it seemed somewhat unrealistic that the governor/university president would so quickly fall in love with his daughter; likewise, the sister. Finally, recognizing Cori’s intense dislike for her mother, it troubled me to see just how quickly she forgave her and came around to her side. Though, maybe that just indicated that her anger was never really genuine.
This review makes it sound as though I heartily disliked this book, and I didn’t. As I said, I found it very readable once I got into it. I liked most of the characters (not Timothy and his brother, of course). I enjoyed Marian very much, and also liked Eve’s husband (though I have to admit he was much more forgiving of someone who had fed him so many untruths than I would have been).
Having Eve be so sick with rheumatoid arthritis provided depth to the book that I liked. It provided a realistic element.
I’m curious to know if all of you were able to suspend reality better than me. Also, who were your favorite characters and your least favorite characters, and why? Would you read anything else by Diane Chamberlain?
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Cee Cee
Voting is complete; we chose The Secret Life of Cee Cee Wilkes, by Diane Chamberlain. We will begin discussion Saturday, June 4.
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