New Pick! The Lovely Bones

Amy Luft picked our 3rd Book Club Choice- The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Once in a generation a novel comes along that taps a vein of universal human experience, resonating with readers of all ages. THE LOVELY BONES is such a book -- a #1 bestseller celebrated at once for its artistry, for its luminous clarity of emotion, and for its astonishing power to lay claim to the hearts of millions of readers around the world. Now in an audiobook edition read by the author, with movie tie-in art.

"My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973."

So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her -- her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling. Out of unspeakable tragedy and loss, THE LOVELY BONES succeeds, miraculously, in building a tale filled with hope, humor, suspense, even joy.

We meet again on January 28th in Olathe to discuss the book.

Just started....

I just finished Castaways (because I was behind)!!!! Great choice!!! I just started "Lovely Bones" and I am not sure I want to continue. I really struggle with media, books, movies being about this type of thing. Should I go on does it get better when I get past this point? Sorry to post this I just wanted to hear other input.

Meeting @ Spin Pizza 12/10/09

We had a great time discussing the Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf at Spin Pizza in Olathe.  Great salads, pizza, wine & friends!

Welcome to the New Girls!

Our 2nd book club meeting is this Thursday in Olathe @ Spin Pizza.  We have two more friends joining us this month; Breana Berroth & Shandal Loomis!  It's exciting to have more involved since we all have different taste in books.  It gives us the opportunity to broaden our "horizons" and read books we wouldn't otherwise have chosen!
I'm excited to see you all on Thursday @ Spin Pizza! 

Just started.....

I started the book this morning and so far so good! I'm about 50 pages in and I'm already hooked. I feel like I can really picture everything she's writing about.....I can't wait to discuss what we think each person looks like next time. Hope everyone has a good week!

Our 2nd Book!

Erin picked our 2nd book!  The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf...it is her first novel. 

Synopsis

It happens quietly one August morning. As dawn's shimmering light drenches the humid Iowa air, two families awaken to find their little girls have gone missing in the night.

Seven-year-old Calli Clark is sweet, gentle, a dreamer who suffers from selective mutism brought on by tragedy that pulled her deep into silence as a toddler.
Calli's mother, Antonia, tried to be the best mother she could within the confines of marriage to a mostly absent, often angry husband. Now, though she denies that her husband could be involved in the possible abductions, she fears her decision to stay in her marriage has cost her more than her daughter's voice.
Petra Gregory is Calli's best friend, her soul mate and her voice. But neither Petra nor Calli has been heard from since their disappearance was discovered. Desperate to find his child, Martin Gregory is forced to confront a side of himself he did not know existed beneath his intellectual, professorial demeanor.
Now these families are tied by the question of what happened to their children. And the answer is trapped in the silence of unspoken family secrets.

11/12/09 First Book Club Meeting!

We met @ Salty Iguana in Lawrence to discuss our first selection, The Castaways by Elin Hildebrand.

We all really enjoyed the book, the characters were really complex and interesting.  It was fun to talk about what each of us pictured them looking like...we all pictured different things so it was pretty funny to compare.  Keeping all the couples straight was the hardest part of the book, but it kept your attention!  Great way to start out the club Cathy...loved the pick!!!

Time to Discuss

I've put together some discussion probes for tonight and I thought I would post them here so everyone would maybe have a little time to ponder them. After our meeting everyone can post comments related to our discussion if they want.

Group Dynamics
- How did you perceive the individual’s roles and how they effect the group dynamic (i.e. Greg is the entertainer)? At the end of the book, how do you think individual roles will change now that Greg and Tess are gone?
- Share your thoughts on the role of the group. What does the group mean to the individuals?

Getaways
- How do the group trips strengthen and in many ways weaken their relationships? What do you personally take away with you from a vacation/getaway, with your spouse and/or with friends?

The Castaways: Infidelity, Truth and Lies, and Taking Sides
- Any thoughts?

Welcome to the Group!

Breana Schoenhals Berroth will be joining our Book Club starting in November!!  She lives in Topeka too so we'll be able to ride together to meet the KC girls!  I'm ready to find out what Erin picked as our next book...

Hello hello!

So Cathy, I have to say--good choice! I realized today a cool thing about the book club is that we get the opportunity to read books we may never have chosen on our own, but we find surprisingly good! I think I've finally gotten all the characters straightened out and I love all the twists and turns. I'm about 175 pages in as of now and am getting ready to go read. Can't wait to find out what happens next. :)

I LOVE this book....

I hope you are all enjoying this book as much as I am!  There are lots of twists and turns and it is really keeping my attention!  Can't wait to get together in November & talk about all our opinions!

Our First Book!!

Cathy chose our first book.  It is The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand. 

Synopsis

Greg and Tess MacAvoy are one of four prominent Nantucket couples who count each other as best friends. As pillars of their close-knit community, the MacAvoys, Kapenashes, Drakes, and Wheelers are important to their friends and neighbors, and especially to each other. But just before the beginning of another idyllic summer, Greg and Tess are killed when their boat capsizes during an anniversary sail. As the warm weather approaches and the island mourns their loss, nothing can prepare the MacAvoy's closest friends for what will be revealed.
Once again, Hilderbrand masterfully weaves an intense tale of love and loyalty set against the backdrop of endless summer island life.


So far I've really enjoyed reading it!  Lots of twists and turns- and I'm not even 100 pages in!  Our first Book Club meeting is November 12th and I'm excited to see how we all liked it!