Blood Sugar// Sascha Rothchild

                  

Hello August! 🌞

We were fortunate enough to get to meet again at Paul Miller Park to discuss Blood Sugar, by Sascha Rothchild. Susan has also reserved the large shelter (by the bathrooms) for our September 9th meeting, where we're slated to discuss One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, by Omar El Akkad. We will keep our eyes on the weather and send out a reminder email to everyone as the date gets closer~ if the weather doesn't cooperate, we'll plan to meet in the meeting room at the library.  

Speaking of One Day..., we have very limited copies, with a handful more on the way from MN Link, but if you don't need a copy of this title, would you please take a minute to leave a comment down below to let me know? It helps us maximize our efficiency! Thanks!

To the book!

 

 

Though she may be a murderer, Ruby is not a sociopath. She is an animal-loving therapist with a thriving practice. She’s felt empathy and sympathy. She’s had long-lasting friendships and relationships, and has a husband, Jason, whom she adores. But the homicide detectives at Miami Beach PD are not convinced of her happy marriage. When we meet Ruby, she is in a police interrogation room, being accused of Jason’s murder. Which, ironically, is one murder that she did not commit, though her vicious mother-in-law and a scandal-obsessed public believe differently. As she undergoes questioning, Ruby’s mind races back to all the details of her life that led her to this exact moment, and to the three dead bodies in her wake. Because though she may not have killed her husband, Ruby certainly isn’t innocent. 

 

Overall, this book was a win. It was an entertaining read that was well paced. We liked the writing, we liked the characters we were most likely meant to like... Ruby especially. We liked the twists and turns, and we would probably read more of Rothchild if she were to write again.

 

On the other hand, there were some doubts about a 5-year-old Ruby being able to drown a 7-year-old male bully on her own steam... in the ocean, while he's flailing. We also questioned the relevancy of killing her female counseling patient. Why, when she was finally done with her last appointment and out of her life, did Ruby decide to instigate her death? And also, could a teenage girl really have the presence of mind to think of a severe peanut allergy, and play along, while being sexually attacked by an adult male?

 

Unanimously, no one wanted Ruby to be convicted of Jason's murder, and we were all thankful that she wasn't. However, there were a handful of people who felt like they did want her to be held accountable in some way for those that she did kill. Interesting!

 

Lots of us weren't crazy about the ending~ some thought for sure the book was leading up to Gertrude's murder. Some thought maybe the ending would be that Jason was actually murdered, but by someone other than Ruby. Others still thought it might have wrapped up a little too nicely with Ruby and her sister and her niece deciding to all move away together and everyone else that was interconnected was just fine with that.

 

 

 

Do we miss anything? Let us know in the comments below! 👇 

 

Want more reads like Blood Sugar? Fans of the book also enjoyed, This Book Will Bury Me, by Ashley Winstead, Beautiful Ugly, by Alice Feeney, and Tell Me What You Did, by Carter Wilson. All of these titles are available within the Viking Library System~ reserve your copy today!    

 The votes are in!

Would we recommend this to a friend to read?  Yes

 
Would we recommend this to another book club for discussion?  Yes

                                                                                                                                             Rate the book 1-5 stars, with 1 being the lowest rating:  3.75 stars

 

Mockingbird// Katheryn Erskine

 

Hello July!🧨

 

We welcomed some new faces when we gathered at Paul Miller Park to discuss Mockingbird, by Kathryn Erskine. Susan has also reserved the large shelter (by the bathrooms) for our August 12th meeting, where we're slated to discuss Blood Sugar, by Sascha Rothchild. We will keep our eyes on the weather and send out a reminder email to everyone as the date gets closer~ if the weather doesn't cooperate, we'll plan to meet in the meeting room at the library. 

 

Speaking of Blood Sugar, we have very limited copies, with a handful more on the way from MN Link, but if you don't need a copy of this title, would you please take a minute to leave a comment down below to let me know? It helps us maximize our efficiency! Thanks! 

 

 

Without further ado!

 

 

In Caitlin’s world, everything is black or white. Things are good or bad. Anything in between is confusing. That’s the stuff Caitlin’s older brother, Devon, has always explained. But now Devon’s dead and Dad is no help at all. Caitlin wants to get over it, but as an eleven-year-old girl with Asperger’s, she doesn’t know how. When she reads the definition of closure, she realizes that is what she needs. In her search for it, Caitlin discovers that not everything is black and white—the world is full of colors—messy and beautiful. 

 

This book was a hit with almost everyone who attended. We really liked the writing and the way Caitlin's thoughts depicted. We adored Caitlin and the way she came at the world, some of us saying we'd like to be her friend. We liked Caitlin's father and had great empathy for how he managed the unimaginable losses they have both had to endure. We also really liked Caitlin's school counselor, how she interacted with Caitlin and how she calmly phrased key concepts in a way that seemed to reach her. There were parts where we laughed out loud, and  parts that tugged on our heart strings~ we liked moving through the story.   

 

What little con's we could scrape together were that we didn't really like the ending. We weren't able to follow how Caitlin and her father were ok with donating Devon's chest to the school~ especially with a loud, in-the-spotlight kind of reaction from the audience that we thought for sure would be all wrong for Caitlin. We rather felt that they would both, but Caitlin especially, would want to keep the chest, it having so much significant sentimental value. 

 

One of us found the book mostly sad, and wondered if integrating Caitlin in the mainstream of public education was the right thing, given the bullying she experienced. It lead to great discussion about personal experiences with the autism spectrum (did you know we don't use the term "Asperger's" anymore?), special needs children in the public school setting and the real world. 

 

 

Do you have anything to add? Leave it in the comments below! 👇 

 

Did you really enjoy Mockingbird? Fans of the book also enjoyed, Rules, by Cynthia Lord, Counting by 7's, by Holly Goldberg Sloan, and Fish in a Tree, by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. All of these titles are available within the Viking Library System~ reserve your copy today!    

 The votes are in!

Would we recommend this to a friend to read?  Yes

 
Would we recommend this to another book club for discussion?  Yes

                                                                                                                                             Rate the book 1-5 stars, with 1 being the lowest rating:  4 stars

The Women// Kristin Hannah

                      

Hello Summer! 🌞

We welcomed back some familiar summer faces, and one new member, while meeting to discuss The Women, by Kristin Hannah. Going forward for the summer months, we are tentatively planning on meeting at Paul Miller Park in the large shelter (near the bathrooms). Susan has made the reservation for our July 8th meeting, and weather willing, that's where we'll plan to meet. I will be sure to send out a reminder email each month as the dates (and the weather for those dates) gets closer! 😄

 

Speaking of July, up next is Mockingbird, by Kathryn Erskine. We have limited copies, with a handful more on the way from MN Link, but if you don't need a copy of this title, would you please take a minute to leave a comment down below to let me know? It helps us maximize our efficiency! Thanks!

 

 

Onward!

 

 

Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances "Frankie" McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.

 

This book was very well received by the vast majority of our members. They really liked and appreciated the research that must have gone into this book (though there were some that experienced the Vietnam war up close and commented on the parts Hannah didn't get right), and they liked that they learned something from reading it. The deeply meaningful friendships between Frankie, Barb, and Ethel were a particularly moving highlight. More than anything, this book, and it's discussion, inspired a wealth of stories and testimonies from our members that were personally touched, or knew someone personally affected by this war~ which made for the best kind of book club meeting. 

 

On the other hand, there were those who weren't quite as swept away by the book. It was said, and outlined, that Kristin Hannah definitely has a distinct style of writing... and for some, it's a little too Hallmark movie/neat and tidy endings tied with pretty bows. The Women was certainly no exception to this precedent. We struggled with "every good and bad thing that could happen, happens to just Frankie". We didn't buy the part about Rye commandeering a military issued helicopter to pop over quick to spend the night with his then girlfriend, Frankie, after she had a particularly hard day (who somehow got clearance to use the "for emergencies only" radio to "just hear his voice" following said hard day)... especially with no reprimand or discipline for either party after.

 

We thought the book was a little too long, and one of us was a little annoyed that Frankie continued to be so naive throughout the book about life and war and medicine and love, even after experiencing so much of all of those. 

   

 

Do you have anything to add? Leave it in the comments below! 👇 

 

Did you love The Women? Fans of the book also enjoyed, The Wedding People, by Alison Espach, The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon, and The God of theWoods, by Liz Moore. All of these titles are available within the Viking Library System~ reserve your copy today!    

 The votes are in!

Would we recommend this to a friend to read?  Yes

 
Would we recommend this to another book club for discussion?  Yes

                                                                                                                                             Rate the book 1-5 stars, with 1 being the lowest rating:  4.5 stars

Hudson Bay Bound// Natalie Warren

 

Hello May! 🎕 We were o-so-fortunate to have Mrs. Warren join us today while we discussed her book, Hudson Bay Bound. She was a delightful guest and answered all of our questions thoroughly. What a treat!

 

Up next for June is The Women, by Kristin Hannah. We have several copies, including 2 large print versions, but if you don't need a copy of this title, would you please take a minute to leave a comment down below to let me know? It helps us maximize our efficiency! 

 

 

Without further ado~

 

 

The remarkable eighty-five-day journey of the first two women to canoe the 2,000-mile route from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay, featuring unrelenting winds, carnivorous polar bears, snake nests, sweltering heat, and constant hunger. Natalie Warren and Ann Raiho faced unexpected trials, some harrowing, some simply odd. But for the two friends, there was the occasional pitfall that tested both their character and their friendship. Warren’s account retraces the women’s journey from inspiration to Arctic waters, giving readers an insider view from the practicalities of planning a three-month canoe expedition to the successful accomplishment of the adventure of a lifetime. 

 

We tended to generally agree about this one~ no one loved it, and no one hated it... it was just ok. The writing was good, Warren could certainly make you feel the story~ but we still felt like something was missing. We didn't really buy that Natalie and Ann only had the one argument during the entire thing from planning to finish, or that the argument that she outlined was as minor as it was portrayed. Another example is there was a lot of time describing the people they met and the food they ate, but not a lot was said about hygiene: showers, washing clothes and sleeping bags, etc., which was largely missed by a few of us. We were also left curious about the finals costs of the trip.

 

There were places the writing felt redundant and our minds wandered, one member mentioned if part of that might be because we went from reading The Boys in the Boat, a book with lots of rowing, to Hudson Bay Bound, a book with lots of paddling. We speculated we maybe just spent too much time lately in boats! 😉

 

It sparked good conversation about personal stories from our members lives about canoe trips they, or their loved ones, had taken and it inspired two of us to look into learning more about canoeing. 

 

All that aside, again, Natalie Warren was a true joy to visit with and the meeting was a total success! Do you have anything to add to our discussion? Please do so down below! 👇

Did you really like Hudson Bay Bound? Fans of the book also enjoyed, Canoeing with the Cree, by Eric Sevareid, Murder on the Red River, by Marcie Rendon, and The Seed Keeper, by Diane Wilson. All of these titles are available within the Viking Library System~ reserve your copy today!    

 The votes are in!

Would we recommend this to a friend to read?  YES

 
Would we recommend this to another book club for discussion?  Yes

                                                                                                                                             Rate the book 1-5 stars, with 1 being the lowest rating:  3.5 stars

2025-2026 Book Club Reading Schedule

 

The Boys in the Boat// Daniel Brown

Hello April! ☔ As promised, we closed the voting for next year's book club reading schedule at  the close of yesterday afternoon's meeting. This year's voting cycle has been the best one yet! So many of you sent in nominations and voted! Thank you! We truly believe we have the best book club members in all the land, we appreciate you!

 

Up next for our May selection is Hudson Bay Bound, by Natalie Warren. We only have a small handful of copies so far, though we do have another handful coming from MN Link that we'll get distributed once they arrive, but if you don't need a copy of this title, would you please take a minute to leave a comment down below to let me know? It helps us maximize our efficiency!

 

 

Onward!

 

It was an unlikely quest from the start. With a team composed of the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the University of Washington’s eight-oar crew team was never expected to defeat the elite teams of the East Coast and Great Britain, yet they did, going on to shock the world by defeating the German team rowing for Adolf Hitler. The emotional heart of the tale lies with Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, who rows not only to regain his shattered self-regard but also to find a real place for himself in the world. Drawing on the boys’ own journals and vivid memories of a once-in-a-lifetime shared dream, Brown has created an unforgettable portrait of an era, a celebration of a remarkable achievement, and a chronicle of one extraordinary young man’s personal quest. 

This book was very well received by almost everyone in attendance. They really liked Brown's writing, and thought the attention to detail with the character's he did highlight was very well done. We all really liked Joe and found him an inspiration. The final chapter with the short write up about each of the rowing team members was fantastic, as were the included pictures. The historical aspects woven into the book were also widely appreciated and gave members a sense of "what was going on in the world" surrounding the original story of the boys. In fact, it inspired one of our readers to do a little more digging into the time and place for some supplementary details. Nice!

 

On the other hand, for two of us, this book wasn't all that grand. These members agreed that Brown is a great writer and the depth of the handful of characters he shared was fantastic, however, they would have liked him to do the same portrayal of all 8 of the boys and their coaches. Where did each of them come from? What were their interrelationships like? How did they work through their differences, because surly, there were differences. They thought there was far too much time spent/focus on Germany and Hitler, a subject endlessly covered in a countless number of books. They thought all the details from every race that got them to the Olympics was monotonous in places and would have preferred a brief recap of any that weren't all that noteworthy. More or less, they thought the book was about 100 pages too long and a bit of a bore.   

What are your thoughts? Let us know down below! 👇

Did you enjoy The Boys in the Boat? Fans of the book also enjoyed, Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand, The Women, by Kristin Hannah (coming up in June!), and The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon. All of these titles are available within the Viking Library System~ reserve your copy today!    

 The votes are in!

Would we recommend this to a friend to read?  YES

 
Would we recommend this to another book club for discussion?  Yes

                                                                                                                                             Rate the book 1-5 stars, with 1 being the lowest rating:  3.75 stars

 

The 7.5 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle// Stuart Turton

 

 

Hello March!🍀Yesterday we met to discuss The 7.5 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton. Up next for April's selection is The Boys in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown. We have a good handful of copies, but we'd like to remind our members to please be intentional about reading through the book club books and returning them to library in as timely a fashion as possible to help us be as efficient as we can in distributing the copies we are able to secure~ we appreciate your help! If you do not need a copy, and you haven't already let us know, would you please leave a comment below to update us? Thanks so much in advance!

 

Lastly, we collected the last of the nominations for this year's reading list last night, and we are busy bee's getting them sorted and organized onto the ballot. We'll get the finished ballot out to you most likely by the end of this week, and we'll plan to vote in our next 12 books at the April 8th book club meeting. I believe Susan will also be adding an online voting option for anyone who would prefer to vote that way, or anyone who can't make April's meeting. We'll get the word out when the link it up and running. In the meantime...

 

 

To the book!

 

 

Evelyn Hardcastle will be murdered at 11:00 p.m. There are eight days, and eight witnesses for you to inhabit. We will only let you escape once you tell us the name of the killer. Understood? Then let's begin...

Evelyn Hardcastle will die every day until Aiden Bishop can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others.

 

This book, for everyone present, was a bust. We could all appreciate the premise, and were intrigued with the alternate concept of the prison system. We liked Turton's character development, and his writing in general, but so many of us were either hopelessly lost, or just surrendered altogether long before the halfway mark. We all agreed the book was a touch predictable, and far too long, with far too many characters and plot lines to try to keep straight. One member counted 42 different characters~ whew. It was said that one could read the first 100 pages, and then skip to the last 100 pages, and be better off than reading the book in its entirety. 

 

In the end, we discussed book nominations and wrapped things up early~ sometimes that's just the way it goes when we are all in agreement about a book, good or bad. 

Did we get it wrong? Let us know below! 👇

 

Did you love The 7.5 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle? Fans of the book also enjoyed, Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, by Benjamin Stevenson, How to Solve Your Own Murder, by Kristen Perrin, and The Midnight Feast, by Lucy Foley. All of these titles are available within the Viking Library System~ reserve your copy today!    

 

 The votes are in!

Would we recommend this to a friend to read?  Unanimously, NO!

 
Would we recommend this to another book club for discussion?  Again, unanimously, NO! 

                                                                                                                                             Rate the book 1-5 stars, with 1 being the lowest rating:  1.5 stars