Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb

 

 

This month we discussed Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, by Lori Gottlieb in the same lovely outdoor spot at Krauss Park we met at for August's meeting. We had an excellent turnout~ thank you to everyone who made it, and welcome to a couple new and returning members! 

Our read for October is The Boy from the Woods, by Harlan Coben. With the slight nip in the air yesterday, the decision was made to forgo any further outdoor book club gatherings for this year. The plan for the October 12th meeting is to host the discussion both via Zoom and in person in the meeting room at the library. The previous concerns of poor sound quality we had regarding this hybrid meeting model have been addressed by Susan, and she is confident we'll have better luck going forward. You are welcome to choose either avenue, but please be advised, masks will be required for anyone attending in person. Looking forward to seeing each of you real soon!

 

To the book!

 

One day, Lori Gottlieb is a therapist who helps patients in her Los Angeles practice. The next, a crisis causes her world to come crashing down. Enter Wendell, the quirky but seasoned therapist in whose office she suddenly lands. With his balding head, cardigan, and khakis, he seems to have come straight from Therapist Central Casting. Yet he will turn out to be anything but.

As Gottlieb explores the inner chambers of her patients' lives -- a self-absorbed Hollywood producer, a young newlywed diagnosed with a terminal illness, a senior citizen threatening to end her life on her birthday if nothing gets better, and a twenty-something who can't stop hooking up with the wrong guys -- she finds that the questions they are struggling with are the very ones she is now bringing to Wendell.

With the exception of just a few, this book was very well received. Those in favor of the read said they really liked the cast of characters (though while most agreed they liked John's unfolding story and subsequent outcome, not everyone was a fan of John the man), and found them believable and relatable... there was much love noted for Wendell, Lori, and Julie. They mentioned it was nice to read a book from the point of view of the therapist and it was mentioned it was a good reminder that "therapists need therapists", just like doctors need doctors, and dentists need dentists from time to time.

Those few that didn't care much for the book said they genuinely didn't really care much for Lori's portrayal of herself and/or the narrative she was sharing, and as a result, they found it hard to finish the book. They thought it surprising that, considering her training, education, and experience, she was thrown for such a seemingly devastating loop over a breakup. They weren't fans of some of her choices, or her almost obsessive overthinking throughout the book. It was also said that while Gottlieb's writing was good, when she broke off on tangent's about the inner workings of therapy the book got boring and bogged down.

What are your thoughts on the book? Which characters were your favorite? Did you find John endearing, or deplorable? Let us know below!

Did you love Maybe You Should Talk to Someone? Fans of this book also enjoyed: Untamed, by Glennon Doyle, Such a Fun Age, by Kiley Reid, and Anxious People, by Fredrik Backman. All of these titles are available in Viking~ reserve one today!

 

At the conclusion of every book club discussion we ask three questions and track the average answers:

Would we recommend this to another book club for discussion?
"YES"
Would we recommend this to a friend to read? 
"YES"
Rate the book 1-5 stars, with 1 being the lowest rating: 
 4 stars

The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi Durrow

 

In August we held our meeting outdoors at Krauss Park in a quiet, shady spot to discuss The Girl Who Fell From the Sky, by Heidi Durrow. Thank you to everyone who made it, and welcome to yet a few more new faces! On the docket for September is Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, by Lori Gottlieb. Speaking of September, if weather allows, we are tentatively planning on meeting again at Krauss Park on the 14th. However, if we should come into a cold snap between then and now, the plan is to host the meeting both via Zoom and in person in the meeting room at the library~ you are welcome to choose either avenue, but please be advised masks will be required for anyone attending in person. 

 

Without further delay~

 

This debut novel tells the story of Rachel, the daughter of a Danish mother and a black G.I. who becomes the sole survivor of a family tragedy. With her strict African American grandmother as her new guardian, Rachel moves to a mostly black community, where her light brown skin, blue eyes, and beauty bring mixed attention her way. Growing up in the 1980s, she learns to swallow her overwhelming grief and confronts her identity as a biracial young woman in a world that wants to see her as either black or white.  

This book seemed to bring a good mix of a small handful that really liked it, another small handful that really didn't like it, and a majority smattering of people who were somewhere in between. Those who really enjoyed the read said the author did a good job on character development, especially with Rachel. They commented on finding several passages in the book to have been really well written, offering excellent imagery for the reader. They thought the book was authentic, believable, and relatable. 

Those who really didn't care for the book cited that it was consistently confusing and hard to follow. The open-ended ending left too many unanswered questions; and several people would have liked the book to have had more of an emphasis on biracial perspectives, aspects, and challenges, rather than appearing to cater to more of a "Black-White" racial disparity structure. One member said the book made a point to clearly impart that Rachel was a highly intelligent, biracial young woman, grappling to find her place and identity in a predominately black community, but didn't seem to offer much evidence to support either claim. 

What did you think of the book? If the author should pen a second novel, would you be eager to read it based on what you experienced with this first round?

 

Did you love The Girl Who Fell From the Sky? Fans of this book also enjoyed: The Vanishing Half, by Brit Bennett, The Leavers, by Lisa Ko, and Of Women and Salt, by Gabriela Garcia. All of these titles are available in Viking~ reserve one today!

 

At the conclusion of every book club discussion we ask three questions and track the average answers:

Would we recommend this to another book club for discussion?
"YES"
Would we recommend this to a friend to read? 
"YES"
Rate the book 1-5 stars, with 1 being the lowest rating: 
 3 stars

Nazi Wives by James Wyllie

 

 

 

For our July meeting we met outdoors at Paul Miller Park to discuss Nazi Wives, by James Wyllie. The weather was lovely and it was so wonderful to gather together again! Welcome to a few new faces, and thank you to everyone who made it out! Up next for August is The Girl Who Fell From the Sky, by Heidi Durrow~ we'll get the copies we have available distributed as quickly as possible, but it's always encouraged to snag a copy elsewhere if you can, just to help get everyone supplied as efficiently as possible.

A big thank you to everyone who came to lend a hand (and a dollar!) for the library's book sale last month! It was a great success, and it feels o-so-good to have liquidated so much of the goods!

 

To the book!

 

Goering, Goebbels, Himmler, Heydrich, Hess, Bormann--names synonymous with power and influence in the Third Reich. Perhaps less familiar are Carin, Emmy, Magda, Margaret, Lina, Ilse and Gerda...

These are the women behind the infamous men--complex individuals with distinctive personalities who were captivated by Hitler and whose everyday lives were governed by Nazi ideology. Throughout the rise and fall of Nazism these women loved and lost, raised families and quarreled with their husbands and each other, all the while jostling for position with the Fuhrer himself. Until now, they have been treated as minor characters, their significance ignored, as if they were unaware of their husbands' murderous acts, despite the evidence that was all around them: the stolen art on their walls, the slave labor in their homes, and the produce grown in concentration camps on their tables.

With the exception of just a few, this book wasn't well received. What's interesting though, is that it mostly wasn't cared for because the people being written about were heavily abhorred. It was hard to like the book, because it was hard to like the many protagonists being depicted and the subject material~ it was said we couldn't sympathize with any one of them. We were baffled by what it could possibly have been about Hilter that drew so many to him and kept them so fiercely loyal to the bitter end. It was also mentioned that this particular author jumped around a lot between the major players and it got confusing to keep them, and the settings, all straight. Title aside, we all agreed by the end of the book we didn't come away from it feeling like we had a good handle on who these women truly were and what made them do/think/feel the things they did/thought/felt. 

On the other hand, it was also said that despite the book being uncomfortable to read due to it's nature, it was also a necessary story to tell... and to keep telling, so that we, and generations to come, may never forget or take for granted the freedoms that we have. We agreed as a group that while we could imagine the level of knowledge/involvement varied among the wives, we found none to be wholly innocent of the atrocities being discussed, planned, and committed, within the walls of their very homes, needless to say their neighborhoods and communities.

In closing, I'll leave you with something to consider: With all of his power, wealth, and charisma, what good could Hitler have done for Germany if only he hadn't been so filled with hate for the Jewish people? What could that have looked like? What could that have meant for Germany today? Let us know in the comments below!

Did you enjoy Nazi Wives? Fans of this book also enjoyed: The Last Stone, by Mark Bowden, and The Nazi Officer's Wife, by Edith Hahn-Beer. Both books are available in Viking~ reserve them today!

At the end of every book club discussion we ask three questions and track the average answers:
Would we recommend this to another book club for discussion?
"YES"
Would we recommend this to a friend to read? 
"NO"
Rate the book 1-5 stars with 1 being the lowest rating: 
 2.5 stars

The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal

 

This month was The Lager Queen of Minnesota, by J. Ryan Stradal for June, with Nazi Wives, by James Wyllie up next for July's pick. This meeting was so good for a few reasons, mainly that the author, Mr. Stradal, was able to join us via Zoom for the last half of our discussion, but also that we had a great turn out~ with a couple new faces! Welcome, and thank you to all who participated!

We learned at this meeting that it's rather difficult to conduct a Zoom meeting with some people joining from home and others gathering together in the meeting room at the library. With that in mind, we are planning on meeting outdoors for July 13th's book club discussion, however, if the weather has other plans for that afternoon, we'll aim to assemble all in person (while social distancing) in the meeting room at the library. We'll let you know the final word on where we're meeting as it gets closer.

In other news, Susan is in need of volunteers to help set up for the book sale happening next week. If anyone has some free time this next Monday and/or Tuesday (June 14th and 15th) and would like to stop in to lend a hand, it sure would be a big help! No appointment is necessary~ just swing by any time during regular business hours and stay as long as you'd like. Please also plan to stop over to peruse the the book sale~ which will be held from Wednesday, June 16th through Saturday, June 19th (during regular business hours as well)!

Without further delay~ 

Two sisters, one farm. A family is split when their father leaves their shared inheritance entirely to Helen, his younger daughter. Despite baking award-winning pies at the local nursing home, her older sister, Edith, struggles to make what most people would call a living. So she can't help wondering what her life would have been like with even a portion of the farm money her sister kept for herself.

With the proceeds from the farm, Helen builds one of the most successful light breweries in the country. Where Edith has a heart as big as Minnesota, Helen's is as rigid as a steel keg. Yet one day, Helen will find she needs some help herself, and she could find a potential savior close to home. . . if it's not too late.

With a few exceptions, this book turned out largely to be a, "I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either", kind of read. Most of our members said it was a good, easy read with well constructed characters and plot lines. There was a poignant, specific mention of Mr. Stradal's exceptional ability to illustrate profound loss and grief, which we later learned was based on his personal experience losing loved ones, most notably, his mother, not so many years ago. Mr. Stradal also shared that the three female leads of the book are all based on a mixture of the prominent female figures from his life~ both of his grandmothers and his mother~ which was well received and respected among the group.

The few criticisms we came up with were in regard to several scenes and narratives that were unrealistic, along with a juvenile feel throughout the book. It was also said that this book had a way of switching back and forth between plot lines and time frames, which can be hard to follow and confusing at times.

In closing, Mr. Stradal was an excellent speaker and we enjoyed his insight and conversation immensely! It is such a treat to be able to come together again for a book club meeting, but to have the author join us put it over the top! See you next month!  

Did you love The Lager Queen of Minnesota? Fans of this book also enjoyed: Evvie Drake Starts Over, by Linda Holmes, and Nothing to See Here, by Kevin Wilson. Both books are available in Viking~ reserve them today!

At the end of every book club discussion we ask three questions and track the average answers:
Would we recommend this to another book club for discussion?
"YES"
Would we recommend this to a friend to read? 
"YES"
Rate the book 1-5 stars with 1 being the lowest rating: 
 3.5 stars

 

Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak

 

 

This month we discussed Bridge of Clay, by Markus Zusak. It's The Lager Queen of Minnesota, by J. Ryan Stradal coming up next in June. For those of you who maybe haven't heard, we've arranged for Mr. Stradal to join us for our June 8th meeting via Zoom (yahoo!). With the governor recently announcing that he will be lessening the Covid-19 restrictions, Susan reports we will be able to meet together in the meeting room at the library for the June book club meeting, and join the Zoom call/conversation from there with picture and sound. Face masks and social distancing will most likely still apply, and if you'd prefer, you can certainly still join in on the meeting from home as we have been doing thus far. We'll announce the plan for the July meeting as the time gets closer and Susan has an opportunity to review the new Covid-19 guidelines. Stay tuned!

To the book~

Bridge of Clay is the powerful story of five brothers who bring each other up in a world run by their own rules. As the Dunbar boys love and fight and learn to reckon with the adult world, they discover the moving secret behind their father’s disappearance.

At the center of the Dunbar family is Clay, a boy who will build a bridge—for his family, for his past, for greatness, for his sins, for a miracle. The question is, how far is Clay willing to go? And how much can he overcome? 

The majority of the group just couldn't love this book, even though they wanted to, based on their sentiment about Mr. Zusak's previous novel, The Book Thief. They found the story longer than necessary, with too much flip-flopping back and forth between story lines, and believed those story lines to be largely confusing and disjointed as well. It was said the book was slow moving, hard to pick up and get engaged in, and a bit of a bore. All those in favor, however, cited this book as "literature", "poetry", and "literary genius". They raved about how well Mr. Zusak can craft a descriptive sentence and develop a character. They loved the story and truly savored their time with the book. Both sides could agree that there was a long list of characters that could be difficult to keep straight without the help of good note taking, that it took several chapters to become intrigued, and also that the concept of the story itself was a good one. 

It was predominantly hot or cold with this one, with very few in the lukewarm, "I liked it, but I didn't love it" category. Where did you find yourself on the spectrum? If you've read both The Book Thief and Bridge of Clay, which did you prefer?

 

At the end of every book club discussion we ask three questions and track the average answers:
Would we recommend this to another book club for discussion?
"NO"
Would we recommend this to a friend to read? 
"NO"
Rate the book 1-4 stars with 1 being the lowest rating: 
 2 stars

*NEW* 2021-2022 Book Club Reading Schedule

 

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

 

On the docket for discussion this month was The Night Watchman, by Louise Erdrich, with Bridge of Clay, by Markus Zusak, on deck for May's meeting (here's hoping we'll be able to gather together outdoors for that conversation~ we'll keep you all posted~ while keeping our fingers crossed!).

As promised, we voted for our next year's reading list at the close of this month's meeting. Here's the results, in no intended order:

1. Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte

2. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, by Lori Gottlieb

3. The Deep, Deep Snow, by Brian Freeman

4. The Lager Queen of Minnesota, by Ryan Stradal

5. Voices in the Stones, by Kent Nerburn

6. The Boy from the Woods, by Harlan Coben

7. Clap When You Land, by Elizabeth Acevedo

8. The Book of Lost Friends, by Lisa Wingate

9. The Book of Two Ways, by Jodi Picoult

10. The Four Winds, by Kristin Hannah

11. The Girl Who Fell from the Sky, by Heidi Durrow

12. Nazi Wives, by James Wyllie 

While no official order has been set, we did decide on The Lager Queen of Minnesota, by Ryan Stradal, as June's book club selection for those of you who like to read ahead. We'll get the rest of the books lined up, and the new reading schedule posted and available soon! Thank you to everyone who voted!

Without further delay~

It's 1953 and Thomas Wazhashk is the night watchman at the jewel bearing plant, the first factory located near the Turtle Mountain Reservation in rural North Dakota. He is also a Chippewa Council member who is trying to understand the consequences of a new “emancipation” bill on its way to the floor of the United States Congress. Thomas and the other council members know the bill isn’t about freedom; Congress is fed up with Indians. The bill is a “termination” that threatens the rights of Native Americans to their land and their very identity.

Since graduating high school, Pixie Paranteau has insisted that everyone call her Patrice. She makes jewel bearings at the plant, a job that barely pays her enough to support her mother and brother. Patrice’s shameful alcoholic father returns home sporadically to terrorize his wife and children and bully her for money. But Patrice needs every penny she has to find and follow her beloved older sister, Vera, who moved to the big city of Minneapolis. Vera may have disappeared; she hasn’t been in touch in months, and is rumored to have had a baby. Determined to find Vera and her child, Patrice makes a fateful trip to Minnesota that introduces her to unexpected forms of exploitation and violence, and endangers her life. 

With the exception of one, all of the attending members liked this read. Those in favor said they really liked the vivid descriptions of the cast of characters connecting with the Earth; detailing their favorite individual elements. It was said that the character development in this book was really good, with Thomas and Patrice picked as the two favorite protagonists. Members marveled at their strength, courage, and perseverance within the trials they faced. Those who have read some of Erdrich's work before commented that this was her best, most uplifting, book yet. 

In contrast, it was said this book was hard to get into, and harder still to stay engaged with. It felt clumsy and disjointed throughout, and the longer list of characters were hard to keep straight. It was felt there were unnecessary characters with irrelevant plot lines, some unbelievable parts, and a few significant loose ends left undone in the end.

Have you read this or any other works of Ms. Erdrich? If so, would you agree this is her best novel to date?

 

At the end of every book club discussion we ask three questions and track the average answers:
Would we recommend this to another book club for discussion?
"YES"
Would we recommend this to a friend to read? 
"YES"
Rate the book 1-4 stars with 1 being the lowest rating: 
 3 stars