Book Club Blogs... How I Miss Them

On Sunday, I spent the entire day reading.  The. Entire. Day.  Can you hear the angels sing? 

It’s really not uncommon for me to spend a good portion of the day reading.  I read fairly constantly – articles on writing, web design, work-related such and such.  I peruse websites, check fb, and, yes, I do open up a few books during the course of the day – both reference and whatever novels I happen to be chewing on. 

But on Sunday, I opened up a new novel, fell into the first chapter, and didn’t come up for air for the entire day (except when I absolutely had to).  I’ll be writing a review of that novel to post on the blog sometime this week… I’m still savoring it.

Just that simple joy, of being able to read for the enjoyment of the story, got me to thinking about the old Book Club Blogs.  Back in my early blogging days, I hosted a few book club blogs, and they were a lot of fun.  I hosted one on the book, Lottery, by Patricia Wood – and the awesome author stopped in for the conversation.  Prior to that, I’d hosted ones for The Mists of Avalon and, on my first blog back on a community blogging site that’s now defunct, I hosted Willa Cather’s, My Antonia.

Blogging, as a medium, has changed considerably in the last few years.  I think that may be one of the reasons that seasoned bloggers have moved on to other platforms.  There just isn’t the same discussion that blogging once encouraged.  Now, people check in at blogs on their readers or through their email.  They page in but don’t participate in the same way.  The standard blogging principal five or six years ago was to encourage comments you should always end your post by posing a question or asking for feedback.  We looked at it as a way to start the conversation.  Today, the standard is to approach each post as an article.  Some bloggers even turn off the comments, so readers don’t see the glaring “0 Comments” attached to every post.

So, I’m going against today’s common rationale to pose this question.  Would there be any interest in resurrecting a book club blog?  I could easily just choose my own books and post reviews, but I’m wondering if any of the other bloggers still tooling around the blog-o-sphere might like the group discussion.

Thoughts?

Book Review - The Daring Book for Girls

“For every girl with an Independent spirit and a nose for trouble, here is the no-boys-allowed guide to adventure.”

I can’t tell you what a pleasure it is to review The Daring Book For Girls . Almost as much fun as it’s been to peruse with my own daughter! She is ten and I handed it right off to her after quickly looking through it the day it came in the mail. Within an hour, she was standing beside my desk, hugging the book to her chest exclaiming, “This is the coolest book ever!!!” I kid you not, I couldn’t make this up... she and a friend down the block are using the book to make their own, Daring Girl Club. They’re thinking of inviting another girl who is a number of years younger, proclaiming that they, and the book, can teach her the ways of the world... okay, I chuckle slightly, but it’s still a nice thought that they want to include a younger girl.

They are especially psyched to check out the website as there are fancy dancy badges there, that they can earn by mastering some of the activities in the book.

Okay, so you, as the parent or older relative of a girl might want to know what’s so great about this book? Why should you buy them this book? What exactly does it teach them? Everything and so much more... It’s like an encyclopedia of your childhood. Look through it with your daughter or the younger girl in your life. It quite probably has every game you ever played with your girlfriends in childhood. It has the rules to sports, directions on crafts, and a good bit of history and necessary facts couched in a fun format – my daughter actually sat for quite a while looking through the chart on states (when they became a state, what the flower is, etc...)

More than the knowledge though, I found pages of games I’d played that I never would have thought to tell my daughter about – how fun to not only be reminded of my own childhood but to share it with the next generation. Plus, what I find a great perk to this book, it gives them formats on letter writing skills, advice on finances, and it’s very girl power oriented – when a book comes along that encourages girls to be both strong and, well, GIRLS, it’s a great thing. In the joking kind of way, the back cover admonishes to exclude boys – but the book actually gives them credence to be themselves and to enjoy each other. It strives to make girlfriends the best commodity, and to me, that’s far better than admonishing the perfect, and very expensive, outfit or best new gadget. This book revels in a girl’s imagination and spirit. If I had stars, I’d give it the highest amount.

But don’t just buy this for your daughter and be done with it. Sit down with her and page through it, use it as a tool to communicate your own past with her present... it’s a useful book for her alone, but what a gift if it can help you both relive memories and create new ones.

Book Review - The Reincarnationist

The Reincarnationist by M.J. Rose, is a suspense novel with an intriguing premise. Josh Ryder is a photojournalist on assignment in Rome when he sustains an injury with startling side effects: the unbidden ability to remember distant past lives. Unable to shake these lifelike treks down generations past, Josh enlists the help of a foundation compiling scientific data on past life experiences. Through this foundation, Josh finds himself at an archeological dig in Rome, face to face with his most prevalent incarnation.

The plot and premise of this novel are extremely compelling. Throughout the read, I found myself putting together pieces of the puzzle and thoroughly engrossed in the historical meanderings of our setting. However, and this is a personal preference, the writing style itself left me a bit outside of the story. There were large portions that wound in prose and were overly descriptive without giving me a good sense of the characters. Had I not been reading this for review, I might well have put it down without finishing.

The plot was very intricate, so much of the descriptive passages were necessary in order for the reader to understand the motion. It’s my preference, though, that suspense pulls you further into the character rather than the scenery. If you are both a fan of literary fiction with very vivid setting and thought provoking suspense, this would be right up your alley. As I said, my faults with the book aren’t the result of the writer doing anything wrong; her voice is exceptionally good – just not to my taste in suspense.

Book Review - Interred with their Bones

Jennifer Lee Carrell’s new novel Interred with their Bones is masterfully done. How’s that for an intro? Can you guess that I really enjoyed the book?

Kate Stanley is a former academic who trades in her Harvard career for a chance to direct Shakespeare at the famed Globe Theatre of London. Our story opens with the arrival of Kate’s former academic mentor, Roz, and a mysterious gift which leads our heroine down the shaky paths of history and across the world only steps ahead of a killer... or is she steps behind?

For the Shakespeare lover, this novel is amply seasoned with the bard’s greatest works. To Ms. Carrell’s credit, she’s followed the true path of Shakespeare; making the novel accessible to both the highly literate Shakespeare aficionados and those who are not so well versed in his work. You don’t need a Master’s Degree to understand her reference or enjoy the fast moving plot.

The very best compliment I may be able to offer here is that the work employs both creative play and a true reverence for history. While building a remarkably believable work of fiction, enough of the true history of Shakespeare and his literary peers are present to lead this novel to become synonymous with the very real intellectual arguments of Shakespeare’s life and works. The fiction she builds around reality fits seamlessly together, creating a thought provoking parallel to what the orthodox scholars hold true. There is enough reference to hold our attention and the work of fiction makes for a great springboard to serious research, for those who are so inclined. But even for those who are uninterested in this little side debate of literature, the suspense and lifelike characters provide ample enjoyment.

Ms. Carrell’s writing style is fluid and descriptive. In periods of intense action, her prose holds the reader back with intricate illustration, offering a sort of tease to heighten the suspense. Occasionally a reader is tempted to skim such description to get to the meat, but not so here. In skipping any of the carefully chosen words, you may miss a golden nugget of information which will aid in piecing together the puzzle of this novel.

This is a fantastic story for both the mainstream reader and the high brow literary consumer. Just like Shakespeare, the work was wrought for the enjoyment of all rather than the few.

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Book Review - February Flowers

February Flowers is Fan Wu’s first novel, which makes it an even bigger triumph. If writers truly grow better with experience, I expect amazing things from this one. Normally, I don’t look into the author’s life very much while reading their work, but the fact that English is Ms. Wu’s second language really astounded me. Then again, it may be that the flavor of her native Chinese is the very thing that makes this work so enchanting. To find out more about her writing, you can visit her website at FanWuWrites Now, on with the review.

February Flowers is, in essence, a coming of age story. But there is so much more here than that simple explanation could encompass. The story centers on two girls in the same college in China and their friendship during a time when a strict, traditional environment is just opening up to a new and more modern mindset, especially for young women. The story is told through the eyes of Ming, the sedate bookworm who basks in the music of her violin and daydreams while Yan is outgoing and carefree, embracing her own sensuality without seeming to pay heed to any of society’s rigid sensibilities.

Perhaps Yan sums up their friendship best when she says, “I live inside and you live outside. Or the other way around. We can never live on the same side.” But the truth here seems to lie deep within the subtleties of the story; underneath the difference in disposition and background the two seem to share some commonalities of the heart.

Fan Wu’s writing style is delicate, bringing to mind the beautiful flowers which dot the balconies of Ming’s building. The phrasing and pace seem simple and forthright, yet there’s a poetry to the prose which can’t help but transport the reader into Ming’s world. I found the novel even more delightful than I expected at first glance and I’m more than a little happy that I chose to review it. For those who love Chinese culture, or simply enjoy a resonating voice in their reading fare, I highly recommend this one.

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Book Review - Maximum Ride; saving the world and other extreme sports

Maximum Ride; saving the world and other extreme sports is the third in the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. Yes, that James Patterson. I’m guessing most of you are familiar with his adult fiction, and his turn toward YA is just as engrossing.

Max, the leader of the flock, is one of an elite few genetically enhanced kids who are on a mission to save the world. Through her voice, full of sarcastic wit and teenage ‘I’m so over this’ attitude, the reader experiences the roller coaster ride of emotion as the flock is hunted across the globe by the scientists responsible for their powers and the flyboys they’ve created to terminate the flock.

This book is ideal for the reluctant reader. Chapters are short and entertaining and the plot moves very fast. Patterson has done a masterful job of creating the teenage voice which permeates this world, filled with lifelike emotion in an extraordinary background.

For the adult or serious reader, some of the scenarios seem slightly contrived with too much tension but not enough character to hold onto. This is, as Max admonishes early in the book, the third of a series and, while it does stand alone, the first two parts obviously flesh out these characters and give the reader a greater understanding of the stakes.

For the middle grade reader, this can be a fun romp and a great way to ease the non reader into a love of story. Great fun and even more humor, even you’re a fan of sci-fi and a quick pace, this one’s sure to please.




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