May Discussion: The Light Between Oceans

This was supposed to be up early (ish) Saturday morning and we were out at my parents' house so I didn't have a chance to sit down and write. I know, I know. Excuses. BUT! I did finish the book for this month and I'm excited to write about it. So here we go...

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

1. Do you think the pregnancy and childbirth losses they went through affect the right or wrong of keeping the baby? How does this affect your thoughts on Tom & Isabel's decisions?


Being pregnant myself, I could understand Isabel's joy when she found out she was pregnant and I could sympathize with her each time she lost a baby. I think those losses definitely had an impact on the Sherbournes and their decision to keep Lucy. And as much as I sympathize with Isabel, I still find myself siding with Tom and his strong desire to report the boat right away. I think that may be because I've always been a rule follower. Because of their decision to keep Lucy, I had a pit in my stomach for most of the book in anticipation/dread of what could happen each time they arrived back in Partaguese.

2. Janus Rock is named for Janus, the Roman God of doorways, “always looking both ways, torn between two ways of seeing things.” (page 65) How does this information impact your reading of The Light Between Oceans? What could it mean for the characters in our novel?


When I realized the meaning behind Janus, all I could picture in my mind was Tom. He's heartbroken for the pain he feels that he's caused his wife, but also the pain that he may be (and later finds out he is)  causing another woman. I also can see this juxtaposition in Tom when he's looking back on what all has happened in his life and everything that could be coming. The foreshadowing of the pain that Tom's causing both women in the novel, definitely ties into Janus and how he had two choices and he was ultimately going to cause someone pain. The question is who would it be? His wife, the woman he loves or the true mother of Lucy-Grace?

3. When Isabel tries to get Tom to open up about his family, he responds: “I’ll tell you if you really want. It’s just I’d rather not. Sometimes it’s good to leave the past in the past.”(pages 44-45) Do you think it is possible to leave the past in the past? What does this tell you about Tom's character?


I think we as humans can try to leave the past in the past, but there's really no way to actually forget about it. That being said, it also seems that men, as a whole, are able to forget things easier. My husband won't remember the fight we had last week, but I will remember why we were fighting. When we talk about it, he says he doesn't remember because it's not important. Valid point.

But as far as Tom goes, this shows us a lot about who he is and the pain he experienced in his earlier years, especially during the war. We can start to understand the pain that Isabel's family feels when their two sons didn't make it home after the war. But to understand Tom's pain from the war, one would have to experience the horrors of war themselves. This makes Tom the man, husband, and father that we meet and know in the book.

4. What did you think of the main characters’ reactions when they discover the truth about Lucy?

I was surprised that Tom didn't side with Isabel more readily. Isabel says that they are the only family Lucy has ever known. While Tom may agree to that, he also feels a stronger urge to return Lucy to her rightful mother...even if that means breaking his wife's heart.

5. Were you surprised by Isabel’s final decision to admit her role in the choice to keep Lucy—freeing Tom, but losing her child forever? Why or why not? What would you have done? 


I was and wasn't surprised to learn of Isabel's decision to admit her role. I had always hoped that she would. However, I can understand the longing she had for a child and then to see her husband ruin her chances in ever keeping "her" child would've been one of the toughest decisions to make. While I can understand her longing and can sympathize with her pain of losing Lucy, I also started to see Isabel as our antagonist in this section of the book. Tom just wanted everything to be okay with his soul and with his family. It's because of him that Lucy was able to have known the love of multiple parents and grandparents.

I'm not entirely sure what I would've done. While I know the outcome of this book, I want to say that I would allow my husband to send the report/alert when the baby first turned up...but the pain of having lost another child would've probably hindered my decision making ability. Even if I had not been able to give up that child when she first arrived, I'd like to think that when I found out that her mother was still alive, I would've done the right thing and given her back. But like with most things...until you're in that situation, it's hard to know what would be done.

6. What did you think of the conclusion of the novel? What emotions did you feel at the story’s end? Did it turn out as you expected? Were you satisfied?

I thought the end of the novel was very fitting. I was satisfied in seeing that even though Isabel, at one point, thought that her life would not be fulfilled without a child, she really was able to find peace with herself and Tom. Their lives were simple and beautiful at their farm once Isabel was released from the hospital. I definitely wasn't expecting this for an ending, but I feel it was wrapped up in a way that was definitely believable.



Thanks for joining us for this month's book club discussion! If you have any comments/input on your thoughts about the book, please comment below! I'd love to hear what you have to say.

 

Happy Tuesday!

The Light Between Oceans: May Questions

Okay...the time has come. Here are a few questions about The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman. Come back here on Saturday for my thoughts on the book! *Also, if you're not quite finished...don't read all of the questions, unless you're okay with some spoilers!*

1. Do you think the pregnancy and childbirth losses they went through affect the right or wrong of keeping the baby? How does this affect your thoughts on Tom & Isabel's decisions?

2. Janus Rock is named for Janus, the Roman God of doorways, “always looking both ways, torn between two ways of seeing things.” (page 65) How does this information impact your reading of The Light Between Oceans? What could it mean for the characters in our novel?

3. When Isabel tries to get Tom to open up about his family, he responds: “I’ll tell you if you really want. It’s just I’d rather not. Sometimes it’s good to leave the past in the past.”(pages 44-45) Do you think it is possible to leave the past in the past? What does this tell you about Tom's character?

4. What did you think of the main characters’ reactions when they discover the truth about Lucy?

5. Were you surprised by Isabel’s final decision to admit her role in the choice to keep Lucy—freeing Tom, but losing her child forever? Why or why not? What would you have done? 

6. What did you think of the conclusion of the novel? What emotions did you feel at the story’s end? Did it turn out as you expected? Were you satisfied?

May's Book: The Light Between Oceans

I had planned to post about Week 29, but seeing as how my most recent post was about Week 28, I figured that something else should happen around here. And I'm sorry for those of you who don't want to hear about baby or books. Feel free to just skip on out. :)

But if you do choose to stick around here..

May's book is The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman. Follow the link to read a summary of the book. I'm still working my way through the book, but I will have questions posted for our discussion on May 23. (That's our last Monday of school! Woo!) And our discussion will take place here on the morning of Saturday, May 28.

I look forward to chatting with you on May 28!

Happy Thursday!

(or as I tell my students, Happy Friday Eve!)

She's the best: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Questions

Because Aubrey is the best, she's helping me out with book club this month. I have no idea where the month went, but somehow I didn't even have a chance to finish the book.

So...she's the hero of the month! Here are a few of her questions and you'll need to check out her post HERE to see what else she has to say.

1. Did you like the book? Was it what you were hoping for or expecting? Why or why not?
 
2. This book portrayed a poor family's life. Do you think their experience was really unique to their socioeconomic status or is theirs' simply a story of human existence?
 
3. Although Francie is not the narrator, the story is told primarily from her point of view. How do you think the story would have differed if it had been told from another character's point of view?

Now go say hi to Aubrey and see what else she wants you to consider for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

April's Book: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Happy Wednesday, all! I trust that this week is going well for most of you. Here's another short post for this week. I know I'm slacking, but I wanted to share this month's book with you.

This month we are reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. If you've never read it, it may seem a little daunting at first. But, I've heard lovely things about it, so I'm excited to share with you.

And if you've been looking for the Seabiscuit discussion, have no fear. It will happen. Honest. Just not on the date it was supposed to happen. Obviously.

 Goodreads summary

So go check out A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and let's meet back here in a few weeks to get this discussion rollin!

And come back tomorrow for your weekly dose of "Kelly feels the need to update us on her pregnancy so I guess I'll read it."

Happy Wednesday!

 

Seabiscuit Questions: Finally!

I know, I know. I'm at least a week late and more than a dollar short (on both questions and discussion). BUT! Here are the questions we'll be discussing for Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand.

1. First off, how did getting into the book go for you?

2. What was your reaction to Hillenbrand's writing style?

3. Have you read her other book, Unbroken? And if so, what did you think of it? (Esp. compared to Seabiscuit.) And have you seen the movies of either?

4. Which character did you find yourself drawn to and why?

5. How did Seabiscuit and War Admiral stack up against each other? What were their strengths and weaknesses?

6. What were your thoughts of the Seabiscuit crew? (Howard, Smith, Pollard)

7. In reading Seabiscuit, we learned of the hardships jockeys faced. How familiar were you with those hardships before reading? What were your reactions afterward? Did Woolf and Pollard overcome any of these? How?

8. What was your overall reaction to this story? What can we take away from it?


Come back on Saturday for the discussion of Seabiscuit and don't forget to start reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn for April!

Happy Wednesday!

February Book Discussion

Sorry this post is a few days late. I'll have more on that later this week. But, I hope you've all had a chance to finish the book. And here we go.

Discussion questions for this book can be found here, but I'll also add them to this post.

Now, what did you all think? I was certainly looking forward to reading Me Before You because it sounded like it would be the perfect story for February (and Valentine's). And in some ways, I was right. But in others, I wouldn't consider this a Valentine's book at all.

1. Did you like the book? Was it what you were hoping for or expecting? Why or why not?

I really did like the book. It captured my attention once I made it through the first 4 chapters or so. And while I was engrossed in the book, it was not what I was expecting at all. Those of you who read along with us know that Will's desire is to end his life. He doesn't love the "new" life he's currently living and he doesn't want to continue to be stuck in it. Being the romantic that I am, I hoped and hoped that Lou would change his mind and that they'd be happy together. After their trip to a friend's wedding, my hopes were up more than they should have been. And while this book was engaging and my romantic heart was longing for the relationship between Will and Lou to work out, I found myself ultimately disappointed. Don't get me wrong. I did like the book, I am glad I read it, and I will recommend it to others. However, I didn't necessarily like the message of the book. While I didn't like the message of the book, I do appreciate that it challenged my beliefs and caused me to examine why I believe what I do. If you're up for being challenged in what you believe, read Me Before You.

 

2. What do you think the book title Me Before You means? Who is the me and who is the you?

 

I'm still unsure as to who the "me" is and who the "you" is. In a very surface level way, I think that the "me" could be Will and the "you" could be Lou. This could be because he dies before her. But on a deeper level, I see the "me" as Lou and the "you" as Will. Yes, Will chose to end his life prematurely, but unselfishly, he chose to but Lou's well-being before his own. He formed a deep relationship with her in the six short months that they knew each other and he decided to give her a better life than she had ever dreamed of. By agreeing to her adventures and dreaming with her, he chose to put her before himself.

3. "The thing about being catapulted into a whole new life-- or at least, shoved up so hard against someone else's life that you might as well have your face pressed against their window-- is that it forces you to rethink your idea of who you are. Or how you may seem to other people." Louisa Clark, Chapter 5 What do you think of Louisa? Was she a better person at the end of the novel? Why or why not?

I found Louisa to be a relatable character throughout the entire novel. Lou dealt with uncertainty and self-esteem, two things that most women can relate to. She was stuck in an unhealthy relationship for many years and it was only with the help of Will that she was able to get out of it. In looking at Lou as a person, I would definitely say that she did change. She's a better person at the end of the novel, because she realizes that she can show Will that she loves him in many different ways. She supported Will by saying good-bye and by following his instructions after his life had ended.

 

4. Will gets a tattoo that reads "Best before 19 March 2007." Will lost a lot in his life but he also chose to leave a lot behind. Did you find anything about the way Will chose to live his life inspiring? Or did you find the way he chose to live is life more difficult to grasp and/or reconcile?

 

The way that Will chose to end his life is not something I'd ever advocate for. Yes, some aspects of his new life were inspiring, like his ability to overcome the majority of his anger issues. However, I found his life and ultimately, his death to be an awful reality to reconcile with. Lou's online friendship with Ritchie helped her accept the fact that Will was going to end his own life and that it was his right to do so. But while Lou accepted Will's decision, she didn't agree with his choice. Up until the very end, I kept hoping Will's mind would change and that life with Lou would be "enough" for him.

5. What are your final reactions after reading the book? So many issues were raised and so many ideas were presented. How do you feel as you walk away from the book?

This book really struck a chord with me. I don't cry during books often. And while it may have been hormones from being pregnant, I really did fall in love with the idea of Lou and Will being together. And even though I don't agree with Will's decision to end his own life, I do empathize with Lou and the loss she was feeling. I am glad I read Me Before You and I'm still undecided as to whether or not I'll be seeing the movie this July.

Thanks for joining us this month and please leave your comments on the book below. I'd love to hear what you thought of it! And do let me know if you're planning to see the movie this summer.

Happy Tuesday!

Me Before You Questions

Aubrey has had her questions up for a few days, but I figured the Monday before our discussion was a pretty good way to start off our week.

But first off, I'm not sure what I was expecting from the book, but it's definitely not what I had anticipated. I have enjoyed it, that's for sure and it's captured my attention. However, it's not what I had expected. Also...I have lots of book left before I can say I know for sure what I was expecting or not...so yeah.

That being said, here are Aubrey's questions for this month:

(via)

1. Did you like the book? Was it what you were hoping for or expecting? Why or why not?

 

2. What do you think the book title Me Before You means? Who is the me and who is the you?

 

3. "The thing about being catapulted into a whole new life-- or at least, shoved up so hard against someone else's life that you might as well have your face pressed against their window-- is that it forces you to rethink your idea of who you are. Or how you may seem to other people." Louisa Clark, Chapter 5 What do you think of Louisa? Was she a better person at the end of the novel? Why or why not?

 

4. Will gets a tattoo that reads "Best before 19 March 2007." Will lost a lot in his life but he also chose to leave a lot behind. Did you find anything about the way Will chose to live his life inspiring? Or did you find the way he chose to live is life more difficult to grasp and/or reconcile?

 

5. What are your final reactions after reading the book? So many issues were raised and so many ideas were presented. How do you feel as you walk away from the book?

 

 

Also...HOW IN THE WORLD ARE WE ALREADY AT THE END OF FEBRUARY?!

Sorry for yelling, but c'mon! February has flown by...don't you agree?

I hope to see you back here on Saturday for our discussion, but in the meantime:

Happy Monday!

 

 

Five on Friday

It's Friday! Thank. Goodness.
A. Liz Adventures hosts Five on Friday every week, so head over there to see what she's got in store today.

one | Valentine's Day

This Valentine's Day will be our fifth Valentine's together. I do realize I've not yet written our story, but this will have to do for now. Our very first date was on Valentine's Day 2012 and our first married Valentine's Day was in 2014.

So since our fifth Valentine's Day is coming up this weekend, I'm excited for all of the events of the weekend. As far as I know, we don't have much planned, but I certainly hope we do something.

two | Master Chorale concert

Kyle sings with the local Master Chorale and they have a concert tonight. L'amour: bliss and angst is the name of the series tonight and apparently it's a compilation of love songs. Kyle wasn't too pumped about singing in French. Too bad.

And my parents are coming over for the concert, so that should be a lot of fun.

three | woodworking

Kyle asked for a shelf for Valentine's Day and he doesn't believe that I made some of the furniture pieces I say I did. So I'm making him a shelf. Check it out.

four | book club

We are reading Me Before You this month for book club. If you've not gotten a copy of it yet, make sure that you do. I'm about half ways through and I'm not sold on it, but it keeps getting better!

 

five | The Life of Bon

Disclaimer: I don't watch "The Bachelor". I have a handful of coworkers who do, but I've just never gotten into it. However, I've found myself going back to read Bonnie's recaps each week because her take on the whole thing is just hilarious. If you watch "The Bachelor" or even if you don't, go check her out. She's funny.

And don't forget to check in for the Valentine's post.

Follow me here, here, or here to see what's up first.

Happy Friday!

Five on Friday

It's time for another Five on Friday with A. Liz Adventures! It's been a while since I've participated, so let's see how it goes.


one | school

Block 4 is just about half done and it's crazy to think this is our longest block! At my school we run a 6 block year. Students have 2 classes per block for 3 hours per day and each block is approximately 30 days long. This way they are able to earn their 6 credits per year, but only have 2 classes at a time. When I first started, it was hard to adjust to the new schedule and the routine of having to do grades 6 times per year. But as I've grown accustomed to the routine, I've realized just how much faster the year seems to fly by!


two | conferences

Kyle and I are headed to a conference for the state's teachers' union. Exciting stuff. I know. Even though it's a conference for work, we will get to see Kyle's parents and we don't even have to fork over money for a hotel! Woohoo!


three | books

I just started the book for this month's discussion, Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.

 

I'm not sure what I think of it yet, but I'll keep you posted as I keep progressing. I think Aubrey has already finished the book. So there's that to keep in mind. 

four | crocheting

My friend, Beth, is pregnant and could give birth any day now and she asked me to crochet her little boy a new beanie hat. So I've been looking for some good patterns. What do you think of this one?

 

I'm hoping to knock it out of the park this weekend in the car on the way to and from the conference...and getting more of my book read. 

five | camp patton

She's back! And I couldn't be more excited! When I saw that Grace was back to blogging, I almost fell out of my chair. I also had to share it on Facebook because I love her blog that much. She's hilarious, real, and she's got 5 of the most adorable kids ever. Head on over to Camp Patton to check her out. And if you like The Bachelor, you'll enjoy her recaps.

Now head on over to A. Liz Adventures to check out the other Five-on-Friday blog posts!

Happy Friday!

January Book Discussion

I'm sorry I'm so late on getting this up. I was waiting until Aubrey's post was up so I could put part of it here and then I got sick = no bueno.

So here are some of her thoughts from this last month's book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

(via)

1. Did you like the book? Was it what you were expecting or hoping for? Why or why not? As I admitted before, I had pregamed this book a couple of years ago so I had a little idea of what I would be reading. However, what I didn’t realize was the two parallel story lines that would co-exist throughout the book. Overall, I appreciated the intertwining of the personal Lacks story with the scientific research and development so, yes, I did like the book. I found myself constantly thinking about how much I would love to use this book in my classroom, but my current school is too conservative for some of the content. The issues raised about medical ethics, healthcare, poverty, race, etc. would be fascinating to work through with high schoolers as many students are just starting to form their own opinions on such things at this stage of their lives and this book offers valuable insight into such a life-changing discovery that still affects us in so many ways today.
2. What did you think of the style of the book? Skloot wrote a nonfiction piece that read as a piece of narrative fiction. Did you like that? Why or why not? At this point in my life, I really appreciated the narrative tone of this book. I read so much academic nonfiction for my job and graduate school that I enjoyed getting lost in a book that read like fiction but was actually nonfiction. I just finished another book of the same style, Brain on Fire, and I highly recommend checking it out—I finished it in four days!
3. Of the two concurrent storylines in the book, did you find yourself favoring one over the other?Going into the book, I had no idea that the scientific research storyline even existed. Overall, I enjoyed the humanistic storyline of the Lacks more, but I really do appreciate the insight and development brought on by the more objective research. While I do not necessarily agree with the way Henrietta Lacks’ situation was handled, the research storyline helped me to see and understand how events were able to unfold as they did and why the doctors felt they were justified to act as they did. I found the Lacks family to be very deep and complex, even if they may not appear as such on the surface. Their issues of poverty and lacking education really gave life and reality to many issues Americans have faced in the past and some are still facing today, especially with the issues of Common Core and Obamacare at the forefront of our nation.

Head on over to her blog to check out her last 2 points of the story. And don't forget to join us in reading Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. We will have our discussion questions out during the last week of February and our group discussion will be here on Saturday, February 27! 

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

 

 

 

Here we go!

Today's the day! Aubrey posted the first set of questions for our Second Chance Book Club.

She's got a mix of literary and non-literary questions. That's the thing with us English-y types...we tend to focus on the analysis aspect of reading instead of the general opinion and conversation type questions. Oops!

Here are her questions for The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

1. Did you like the book? Was it what you were expecting or hoping for? Why or why not?
2. What did you think of the style of the book? Skloot wrote a nonfiction piece that read

as a piece of narrative fiction. Did you enjoy that? Why or why not?

3. Of the two concurrent storylines in the book, did you find yourself favoring one over the other?

4. Who was your favorite character and/or to whom did you find yourself most attached?

5. What are your final reactions after reading the book? So many issues were raised and so many ideas were presented. How do you feel as you walk away from the book?

Come on back this Saturday to hear what she has to say!

And as always, please add your comments or write your own blog post and don't forget to add our button to it. Happy Monday!

Welcome Back and Book Club 2016

Wow! I feel like I've been gone from this space for ages. And in reality...it's been 18 *gulp* days. I am ashamed. But now that we're back and into a new year, I think it's time for some excitement around these parts.

How about a little update on what's been happening and what's coming up? Yes? Okay.

Christmas was a great time to be with family. We are so blessed to be close (less than 3 hours) to both sets of our parents and since we both teach, we figure it's a great time to see everyone. We were with Kyle's family for Christmas Eve this year and it was such a lovely time to celebrate different traditions from those celebrated with my family. We were there for 3-ish days and then we were off to my parents' house. I grew up on a farm in a small community and it was so fun to be back in that atmosphere. Unfortunately we had to travel to Montana for a funeral. The blessing is that she is with her Lord and Savior. So we rejoice in that fact.

So we are home and back at school for two days already. And we're ready for routine again!

Since routine is what we're ready for...let's get this year started with our 2016 Second Chance Book Club!

The titles for this year are:

January: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks 

by Rebecca Skloot

 

The journey starts in the “colored” ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1950s, her small, dying hometown of Clover, Virginia — wooden slave quarters, faith healings, and voodoo. Today are stark white laboratories with freezers full of HeLa cells, East Baltimore children and grandchildren live in obscurity, see no profits, and feel violated. The dark history of experimentation on African Americans helped lead to the birth of bioethics, and legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of. (goodreads)

 

February: Me Before You

by Jojo Moyes

This is a movie coming out in 2016! The release date isn't until 

November...but this way you'll have it crossed off your list!

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.
What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.
Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.
What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time. (goodreads)

March: Seabiscuit

by Laura Hillenbrand


 

Seabiscuit was one of the most electrifying and popular attractions in sports history and the single biggest newsmaker in the world in 1938, receiving more coverage than FDR, Hitler, or Mussolini. But his success was a surprise to the racing establishment, which had written off the crooked-legged racehorse with the sad tail. Three men changed Seabiscuit’s fortunes. (goodreads)

April: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

by Betty Smith

The beloved American classic about a young girl's coming-of-age at the turn of the century, Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a poignant and moving tale filled with compassion and cruelty, laughter and heartache, crowded with life and people and incident. The story of young, sensitive, and idealistic Francie Nolan and her bittersweet formative years in the slums of Williamsburg has enchanted and inspired millions of readers for more than sixty years. By turns overwhelming, sublime, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the daily experiences of the unforgettable Nolans are raw with honesty and tenderly threaded with family connectedness -- in a work of literary art that brilliantly captures a unique time and place as well as incredibly rich moments of universal experience. (goodreads)
 

May: The Light Between Oceans

by  M.L. Stedman

This is also coming to a theatre near you in 2016!

After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season and shore leaves are granted every other year at best, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby.  (goodreads)

 June: The BFG 

 by Roald Dahl

Apparently we have a theme here...movie 

will be released in July!

Captured by a giant! The BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It's lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, the Fleshlumpeater, the Bonecruncher, or any of the other giants-rather than the BFG-she would have soon become breakfast.
When Sophie hears that they are flush-bunking off in England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all. And the BFG is going to help her! (goodreads)

July: The Lost City of Z  

by David Grann

Will be released as a movie this year!

A grand mystery reaching back centuries. A sensational disappearance that made headlines around the world. A quest for truth that leads to death, madness or disappearance for those who seek to solve it. The Lost City of Z is a blockbuster adventure narrative about what lies beneath the impenetrable jungle canopy of the Amazon. (goodreads)

 

August: Maus  

by Art Spiegelman

 A story of a Jewish survivor of Hitler's Europe and his son, a cartoonist who tries to come to terms with his father's story and history itself. (goodreads)

September: Passing 

 by Nella Larsen

Irene Redfield, the novel's protagonist, is a woman with an enviable life. She and her husband, Brian, a prominent physician, share a comfortable Harlem town house with their sons. Her work arranging charity balls that gather Harlem's elite creates a sense of purpose and respectability for Irene. But her hold on this world begins to slip the day she encounters Clare Kendry, a childhood friend with whom she had lost touch. Clare—light-skinned, beautiful, and charming—tells Irene how, after her father's death, she left behind the black neighborhood of her adolescence and began passing for white, hiding her true identity from everyone, including her racist husband. As Clare begins inserting herself into Irene's life, Irene is thrown into a panic, terrified of the consequences of Clare's dangerous behavior. And when Clare witnesses the vibrancy and energy of the community she left behind, her burning desire to come back threatens to shatter her careful deception. (goodreads)

October: Yes Please  

by Amy Poehler

In Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please, she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some useful, some not so much), like when to be funny and when to be serious. Powered by Amy’s charming and hilarious, biting yet wise voice, Yes Please is a book full of words to live by.  (goodreads)

November: Bossypants 

by Tina Fey

Before Liz Lemon, before "Weekend Update," before "Sarah Palin," Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV.

She has seen both these dreams come true. 

(goodreads)

 

December: The Paris Wife 

 by Paula McLain

A deeply evocative story of ambition and betrayal, The Paris Wife captures a remarkable period of time and a love affair between two unforgettable people: Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley.

Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Lost Generation”—that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.  (goodreads)

As always, please join Aubrey and myself for our discussions on the last Saturday of every month! We will attempt to get the discussion questions up during the week leading up to our discussion. I've also had some requests for an in-person group...so if you're around and you'd like to get together, let me know!