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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
While this is probably not a book I typically would have picked up to read, I read it for a book club.
So there's that.
What I liked:
1. The idea of the book -- What is the book that matters most to me in my life? And has it changed based on the season of life I'm in? Pondering that.
2. The theme of community -- it matters. Real connections with real people matter. We were created for community.
3. Hopeful/happy endings
What I disliked:
1. The characters were frustrating -- some lack of development and threads that seemed disconnected and jumbled. At times, I couldn't wait for it to end.
2. There was so much I felt the author was trying to tackle at once -- too much for it to be clear.
3. The ending was abrupt.
So there's that.
What I liked:
1. The idea of the book -- What is the book that matters most to me in my life? And has it changed based on the season of life I'm in? Pondering that.
2. The theme of community -- it matters. Real connections with real people matter. We were created for community.
3. Hopeful/happy endings
What I disliked:
1. The characters were frustrating -- some lack of development and threads that seemed disconnected and jumbled. At times, I couldn't wait for it to end.
2. There was so much I felt the author was trying to tackle at once -- too much for it to be clear.
3. The ending was abrupt.
Won this book in a contest at Chick Lit Central. It was a good read but I found it had too much of a 'perfect' ending, with everything and everyone fixed in the end.
This book contained a number of elements that I am not a big fan of in novels. These included : detailed descriptions of addiction and self-destructive behaviors, and improbable story lines. I did like the setting, Providence, RI, and wish there had been more of that in the book. The other setting, Paris, was barely sketched out so don't read this book if you read novels for the settings.
Ava is a self-absorbed person and neglectful mother. Her children are overseas - one a college student who supposedly is in Italy but is really leading a dangerous existence in Paris. We have no idea what she does for money for the months she is there - Paris is expensive. Her son is somewhere in Africa looking for gorillas, but he is barely a footnote in the story.
The other improbable detail was the book club Ava is "admitted" to. The membership is limited to 12 so someone has to move away or move on (e.g. pass away) for a new member to be admitted. Members are asked to nominate THE BOOK that matters the most to them. This premise is ridiculous for people who love to read - ONE book? Towards the end of the book, one character actually says:
“The idea of the book that matters most ... I think it’s like impossible to pick such a book. When you read a book, and who you are when you read it, makes it matter or not. Like if you’re unhappy and you read, I don’t know, On the Road or The Three Musketeers, and that book changes how you feel or how you think, then it matters the most. At that time.”
If I were in a book club that proposed the reading list they had for the year, I'd walk away. Books like Catcher in the Rye are books I read as a teen and once was enough. Ada chooses a book that not only is out of print, but unavailable. This is a gimmick to propel the story as she searches for the book and author. Sigh.
Even though the entire premise was outlandish, I gave it 3 stars because I actually finished it, and wanted to know what happened. I got the e-book free so I only invested time, and no money.
Ava is a self-absorbed person and neglectful mother. Her children are overseas - one a college student who supposedly is in Italy but is really leading a dangerous existence in Paris. We have no idea what she does for money for the months she is there - Paris is expensive. Her son is somewhere in Africa looking for gorillas, but he is barely a footnote in the story.
The other improbable detail was the book club Ava is "admitted" to. The membership is limited to 12 so someone has to move away or move on (e.g. pass away) for a new member to be admitted. Members are asked to nominate THE BOOK that matters the most to them. This premise is ridiculous for people who love to read - ONE book? Towards the end of the book, one character actually says:
“The idea of the book that matters most ... I think it’s like impossible to pick such a book. When you read a book, and who you are when you read it, makes it matter or not. Like if you’re unhappy and you read, I don’t know, On the Road or The Three Musketeers, and that book changes how you feel or how you think, then it matters the most. At that time.”
If I were in a book club that proposed the reading list they had for the year, I'd walk away. Books like Catcher in the Rye are books I read as a teen and once was enough. Ada chooses a book that not only is out of print, but unavailable. This is a gimmick to propel the story as she searches for the book and author. Sigh.
Even though the entire premise was outlandish, I gave it 3 stars because I actually finished it, and wanted to know what happened. I got the e-book free so I only invested time, and no money.
3 1\2 stars. It was good. I liked it. Some parts less than others and some parts were a little cheesy. But a good, quick read.
More of a 3.5.
I generally tend to like books that talk about books. But what I liked more here is how it tried to explore relationships beyond the chick-lit formula about book clubs. Overall, a good read.
I generally tend to like books that talk about books. But what I liked more here is how it tried to explore relationships beyond the chick-lit formula about book clubs. Overall, a good read.
Choose light. My favorite part of this book was the book club in the story that chooses ten classic books to review. I liked Ava's book club reviews and how many of the book's themes related back to drama going on in either Ava's life or her daughter Maggie's life, for example the weight of memory (you can never erase tragedy) and the coming of age (finding your place in the world & loss of innocence).
Ava's daughter, Maggie, had the most disturbing story line. Maggie's descent into drug addiction and her involvement with an older man in a foreign country was very compelling.
I thought Ava's mother, Charlotte, had the least plausible story and yet I loved the book that Charlotte wrote entitled Clare to Here. Would a mother really make such a choice?
I did like the point that we all have to pick how we want to live our our lives; in the darkness or in the light. The decision in this case was to choose the light. :)
Ava's daughter, Maggie, had the most disturbing story line. Maggie's descent into drug addiction and her involvement with an older man in a foreign country was very compelling.
I thought Ava's mother, Charlotte, had the least plausible story and yet I loved the book that Charlotte wrote entitled Clare to Here. Would a mother really make such a choice?
I did like the point that we all have to pick how we want to live our our lives; in the darkness or in the light. The decision in this case was to choose the light. :)
Enjoyed this story of fraught family relationships. Also loved the book group dynamics and the discussions of the chosen books. This is a natural for book groups, especially if interested in reading some of the more "classic" choices such as TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, SLAUGHTER-HOUSE FIVE, and more. Recommend for readers who like Anita Shreve and Elizabeth Berg.
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love the idea of a book focusing on books but I found it sad to see the side stories going on. Some of the characters went through terrible situations due to others. I'm especially thinking of the father with dementia and what all he lost.