Broken Ice// Matt Goldman

 

Hello November! 🦃

What beautiful weather we had, and a fantastic turnout, despite needing to switch our dates around to accommodate the holiday~ thank you to everyone who came!

Looking ahead to December, we have a few extra copies coming in of The Indifferent Stars Above, but just in case you don't need a copy and you haven't already let me know, would you please leave me a quick note in the comments below so we can keep the call list updated? Thank you for your help! 

 

Onward!

 

Nils Shapiro has been hired to find missing Linnea Engstrom, a teenager from the small northern hockey town of Warroad, MN. Most of Warroad is in Minneapolis for the state high school hockey tournament, and Linnea never returned from last night's game. Linnea's friend Haley Housch is also missing--and soon found dead. Shot through the arm with an arrow at the Haley Housch crime scene, only the quick work of medical examiner Char Northagen saves Nil's life. Nils should be in the hospital recovering from his near fatal injury, but he knows that the clock is ticking. Linnea could be anywhere, and someone doesn't want her found. Is Linnea a victim, or is she playing a dangerous game? As bodies start piling up, the clues lead Nils and Ellegaard north to Warroad, a small, quiet town with many secrets to hide.

My, this was a quick meeting! We all basically collectively agreed that this book was just OK. It was a quick, easy read that didn't really move us any which way. 

Most of us felt like there were a few too many people to keep track of, and we didn't really like the main character, Nils. In places his injury made sense, but it was largely understated throughout. We didn't understand the dynamic he had with his ex-wife, or the abandoned building he lived in, and we thought he tried too hard, in too many places, to be funny. It got old by the end.

For positives, we enjoyed the nurse the most, and some of us were very familiar with the places Goldman described in the book, which is always fun.

 

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below! 👇 

 

Did you enjoy Broken Ice? Fans of the book also enjoyed, Apostle's Cove, by William Kent Krueger, Pretty Girl Gone, by David Housewright, and Saving Emma, by Allen Eskens. 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?  No

                                                                                                                                             Rate the book 1-5 stars, with 1 being the lowest rating:  3 stars

 

The God of the Woods// Liz Moore

 

Welcome October! 🍂

It was kind of nice meeting back at the library's meeting room on a brisk, rainy Tuesday afternoon to discuss our latest read. We will plan to continue to meet back at the library now for the foreseeable future... or at least until the weather warms again! 

We have several copies of Broken Ice coming in, but just in case you don't need a copy and you haven't already let me know, would you please leave me a quick note in the comments below so we can keep the call list updated? Thank you for your help! 

 

To the book!

 

Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found. As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds.  

The overall response to this book was positive~ no one really loved it, but no one hated it either. We thought Moore did a great job with character development and the premise for the story was a good one. We believed her characters, even though we didn't necessarily like them all.

The handful of criticisms we collected were that, for some, the book seemed a little long. A couple people said there were too many characters that got tricky to keep straight as the story unfolded. Also, there were a couple unnecessary plot lines, possibly red herrings, that only added to the character count and the length of the book. 

Another small group of readers enjoyed the book right up to the ending where it all seemed to fall apart. Would 13-year-old rich, privileged Barbara really be ok living all alone on an island for five years until she became a legal adult... even with the presumed regular help/visits from TJ? Would Judy, a police investigator, really row out into the water, discover 13-year-old Barbara alone on the island, and row away again, taking Barbara at her word that she's OK... and never tell anyone/intervene? 

A few of us would have liked one more page, just to know how everything shook out for TJ, Barbara, Alice and Judy. We wondered if now that the truth was known, could it have meant that Barbara and Alice could have healed their relationship? Could Alice heal and move forward in a healthy direction with her rotten husband and father-in-law in prison for their crimes?

 

 

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below! 👇 

 

Did you love The God of the Woods? Fans of the book also enjoyed, The Wedding People, by Alison Espach, Broken Country, by Clare Leslie Hall, and All the Colors of the Dark, by Chris Whitaker. 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?  No

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

                                                                                                                                             Rate the book 1-5 stars, with 1 being the lowest rating:  3 stars

 

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This// Omar El Akkad

Hello September! 🚌

We met one last time at Paul Miller Park for our September discussion of One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, by Omar El Akkad. With fall fast approaching, we are planning to head back to the library's meeting room for our October 14th meeting where we're slated to discuss The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore. I'll try to send out a reminder email when the date gets closer! 

We should have lots of copies of The God of the Woods coming in, but just in case you don't need a copy and you haven't already let me know, would you please leave me a quick note in the comments below so we can keep the call list updated? Thank you for your help!

 

Onward!

  

This book chronicles the deep fracture which has occurred for Black, brown, indigenous Americans, as well as the upcoming generation, many of whom had clung to a thread of faith in western ideals, in the idea that their countries, or the countries of their adoption, actually attempted to live up to the values they espouse. It's a heartsick breakup letter with the west. It is a breakup we are watching all over the U.S., on college campuses, on city streets, and the consequences of this rupture will be felt by all of us. His book is for all the people who want something better than what the west has served up. This is the book for our time. 

The response to this book was a mixed bag. I would say it was generally well received, with 2-ish people loving it, and the rest of the fans just liking it. Those in favor appreciated his passion for the subject material and his bravery in naming names and calling a spade a spade. 

Those not feeling quite as warmly about the book thought the writing itself was terrible~ lot's of l-o-n-g sentences with no background information on the people and places noted. No footnotes to reference. This group also thought he got a bit preachy and took offense to some of his sentiments. It was clear the author was a journalist and that this was his 208 page personal rant about a subject he feels strongly about. 

In the end, the vast majority of the group thought this book might have been more impactful if El Akkad had condensed the contents of this book down to a solid 2 or 3 page magazine article and left it at that. Or maybe he could have condensed down each chapter into a 1 page column and had them published one at a time, once a month, for however long it takes to get through the book... otherwise, it mostly came across as way-too-long personal rhetoric, even though we think what he's saying is important.

 

What did we miss? Let us know in the comments below! 👇 

 

Want more reads like One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This? Fans of the book also enjoyed, Everything is Tuberculosis, by John Green, Careless People, by Sarah Wynn-Williams, and The Emperor of Gladness, by Ocean Vuong. 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

 

 

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