Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

 

Salutations and happy tidings to you and yours this holiday season! December's pick was Clap When You Land, by Elizabeth Avecedo, with Voices in the Stones by Kent Nerburn up next in January. The meeting format followed the hybrid model we've been employing recently of some in-person attendees and some dialing in from home via Zoom. We'll plan to continue this hybrid meeting format going forward, and as always, you are welcome to choose either avenue, but please be advised, masks will be required for anyone attending in person. See you in the new year!

 

To the book! 

 

Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people…

In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.

Separated by distance—and Papi’s secrets—the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered. And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.

 

Clap When You Land offered us a novel-in-verse writing style that felt a lot like prose poetry. The majority of our members enjoyed this arrangement, and liked that it was a clear and straightforward read. Those few not in favor of this particular format, cited that it was distracting and seemed like it made the book longer than necessary. As a group, we liked the characters and found them, and the plot lines, believable (which is definitely not something we've been able to say for the last several books). It was said that Acevedo is skillful at writing about teenagers, and given this is a book from the Young Adult genre, we appreciated the complex and complicated people and circumstances the book incorporates. We thought it was good for young readers to get some subdued exposure to possible real life topics and concepts, such as a devoted and loving father who lives a double life. Along those lines, in the end, the story could have easily gone the way of anger, jealousy, and resentment between the two sisters~ but instead, their decision to love, support, and cleave to one another was commended. We especially liked the ending, and it was mentioned a few additional chapters at the end to see the girls off into their new lives would have been welcomed. 

 

What are your thoughts on composition and content of the book? Did you find it had a good balance, or did it lean too far one way or the other?

 

Did you love Clap When You Land? Fans of this book also enjoyed: Catherine's War, by Julia Billet, Seven Endless Forests, by April Genevieve Tucholke, and Children of Virtue and Vengeance, by Tomi Adeyemi. 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 Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate

 

 

November's selection was The Book of Lost Friends, by Lisa Wingate, with Clap When You Land, by Elizabeth Acevedo, coming up next for our December 14th discussion. Thank you to everyone who attended both in person at the library, and also from home via Zoom! We will plan to continue with our hybrid meeting model for the foreseeable future. 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 in December!

Without further ado!

 

Louisiana, 1875 In the tumultuous aftermath of Reconstruction, three young women set off as unwilling companions on a perilous quest: Lavinia, the pampered heir to a now-destitute plantation; Juneau Jane, her illegitimate free-born Creole half-sister; and Hannie, Lavinia's former slave. Each carries private wounds and powerful secrets as they head for Texas, following dangerous roads rife with ruthless vigilantes and soldiers still fighting a war lost a decade before. For Lavinia and Juneau Jane, the journey is one of inheritance and financial desperation, but for Hannie, torn from her mother and eight siblings before slavery's end, the pilgrimage westward reignites an agonizing question: Could her long-lost family still be out there? 

Louisiana, 1987 For first-year teacher Benedetta Silva, a subsidized job at a poor rural school seems like the ticket to canceling her hefty student debt--until she lands in a tiny, out-of-step Mississippi River town. Augustine, Louisiana, seems suspicious of new ideas and new people, and Benny can scarcely comprehend the lives of her poverty-stricken students. But amid the gnarled oaks and run-down plantation homes lies the century-old history of three young women, a long-ago journey, and a hidden book that could change everything.

I think it's fair to say that the vast majority of the group enjoyed this book, and Mrs. Wingate's writing style, quite well. There was high praise offered for Wingate's way with words, and her ability to craft a scene, a feeling, and a character. Speaking of characters, it seems the group was a bit divided on which story line of the two they preferred. Those fond of Benny's plot found her to be courageous, intelligent, persistent and endearing. Those not so in favor of Benny found her contributions to be predictable and contrived, some parts completely unnecessary altogether. 

On the other hand, those who favored Hannie's story line loved her charm, wit, resourcefulness, and logical processes. Those not as smitten with Hannie's narrative would say there were parts of her story that were unbelievable and/or unconvincing. In addition, a few members found both story lines equally enticing and had no criticism for either Benny nor Hannie. Others still added that they thoroughly enjoyed how the two plot lines intertwined and intersected, they found it gave the book great balance.  

In closing, considering that this book was based off of a true story, it was said it was heartbreaking to read of all of the displaced families of slaves and their courageous and arduous quest to reunite. We, as a group, have found over the years from reading various books with various subject matter, that material such as this can be hard to take in and sit with, but is also a necessary education and remembrance nevertheless. 

 

Where do you find yourself... are you team Benny, or team Hannie?

 

Did you love The Book of Lost Friends? Fans of this book also enjoyed: Olive Kitterage, by Elizabeth Strout, The Bitterroots, by C.J. Box, and Florida, by Lauren Groff. 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: 
 3.75 stars

The Boy From the Woods by Harlan Coben

 

October's read was The Boy From the Woods, by Harlan Coben. This month we again attempted a hybrid meeting style of in-person at the library and also leaving the option open to join from home via Zoom. It was a smashing success all around! Thank you to everyone who attended, no matter the avenue they chose to do so. We've had excellent meeting attendance, despite the challenges we've all had to navigate, and we are truly grateful and appreciative to each of you for continuing to carving out some time for a good book discussion each month. Long live book club!

The book selection for November is The Book of Lost Friends, by Lisa Wingate. Since this last hybrid meeting went so well, the plan for the November 9th meeting is to again host the discussion 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. Looking forward to seeing each of you real soon!
 

To the recap!

 

The man known as Wilde is a mystery to everyone, including himself. Decades ago, he was found as a boy living feral in the woods, with no memory of his past. After the police concluded an exhaustive hunt for the child's family, which was never found, he was turned over to the foster system.

Now, thirty years later, Wilde still doesn't know where he comes from, and he's back living in the woods on the outskirts of town, content to be an outcast and with few deep connections to other people.

When a local girl goes missing, famous TV lawyer Hester Crimstein--with whom Wilde shares a tragic connection--asks him to use his unique skills to help find her. Wilde must return to the community where he has never fit in, and where the powerful are protected even when they harbor secrets that could destroy the lives of millions . . . secrets that Wilde must uncover before it's too late.

In a rare and strangely welcomed way, this book was unanimously thought of as "just ok". It felt a lot like we were walking halfway into a story, from an established series, with vested characters and previous plot lines that may have helped answer some nagging questions we were left with. A member commented that it would have been nice, since the story is titled The Boy From the Woods, if  the novel would have been more about Wilde and his sorted history~ or at the very least, would have filled out his character profile a bit better. It was said, and widely agreed upon, that this book's contents felt "lazy", "disjointed" and "thrown together". We wagered that the author was possibly given a relatively short time frame to write his next book and threw this one together with whatever fodder was on the news at the time while reaching the required word limit. One member who has read a couple of Coben's previous books concurs that this isn't his best book by far.

With the exception of one member who found Hester to be a strong leading female character, her role was instead largely thought of as bothersome, and at times, unbelievable. Rola was thrown into the same mix as Hester~ who could pull up in a minivan, young children in tow, to lend a hand with an active investigation at a moment's notice? We didn't think so either. 

On a side note, sometimes when you discuss a book that the group seems to be in harmony about~ the conversation leads to other topics and ideas. This was certainly true for us this time around. I'll leave you with this bit of good humor as evidence... as the meeting was coming to a close, one member summed this discussion up perfectly~ "The best thing we can say about this book is we talked about other books during the majority of meeting."

 

Do you think we judged this book too harshly? Were we spot on? Let us know in the comments below!

 

Did you love The Boy From the Woods? Good news~ there's a sequel coming in March of 2022! Can't wait that long? We've got you covered! Fans of this book also enjoyed: The Whisper Man, by Alex North, This Tender Land, by William Kent Krueger, and A Nearly Normal Family, by N.T. Edvardsson. 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?
"NO"
Would we recommend this to a friend to read? 
"NO"
Rate the book 1-5 stars, with 1 being the lowest rating: 
 2 stars

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