February’s Book Club pick: Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

I thought I would do a review for our February’s book because you may need to find it outside of a library. This way, you will have plenty of time to find it and read it. Debbie Mullin will be hosting on Wednesday Feburary 2. Her pick is:

                                     

A beautiful retelling of the Celtic "Swans" myth, Daughter of the Forest is a mixture of history and fantasy, myth and magic, legend and love... To reclaim the lives of her brothers, Sorcha leaves the only safe place she has ever known and embarks on a journey filled with pain, loss and terror. When she is kidnapped by enemy forces and taken to a foreign land, it seems that there will be no way for Sorcha to break the spell that condemns all that she loves. But magic knows no boundaries, and sorcha will have to choose between the live she has always known and a love that comes only once.

A goodreader’s review:

I have to admit that when a colleague of mine lent me this book, I didn't really have all that much hope for it. Sure, she couldn't stop raving about it, but there was something so dull and lacklustre about the cover that it took me a good while to actually get around to reading it.
But, I can safely say that I really, really loved this book.
I'm not exaggerating when I say that this is one of the best fantasy books I've read in a while. Like my colleague, I initially thought that this book was intended for a much younger audience, but I truly think that older and younger readers alike will be completely and utterly charmed by this magical little tale…
Juliet Marillier has a gift for writing. Not only that, she has a gift for creating characters that are incredibly multilayered, complex and unbelievably likeable. I loved Sorcha's character from the minute I started reading and couldn't help but laugh, cry and rooting for her throughout the novel. She's brave, flawed, strong and courageous and has a strong sense of loyalty towards those that she loves.
That's not the only reason I love this book though. The writing itself is beautifully descriptive; old Celtic folklore coming to life under the hands of Marillier, who demonstrates a vivid understanding of Celtic myths and legends.
The world she creates is filled with magic, legends and wonderfully crafted heroes, while at the same time also managing to create villains that are so dripping with menace, you actually feel like you have to find some hiding spot for fear of having them find you.
All in all, I'd highly recommend this book.

Hope to see you in February at Debbie’s home.

January’s Book Club Meeting: Movie Night

We had a wonderful visit together at Michelle’s home last night and  really missed all of you who could not be there. The universal truths found in The Alchemist are indeed hidden treasures worth seeking and we enjoyed discussing it together. Welcome back to our friend Jenna Lake. She is one of the original members of this book club and we are thrilled to have her coming again. 

Book club will be changing from Tuesday to Wednesday nights next year.  We will meet the first Wednesday of every month. A hosting schedule was put together for next year but there are still some openings. We will look to complete  that at our next meeting together.

We wanted to continue the tradition of a movie night in January. We have some ideas on a gathering place for that and will get details out soon.

Looking ahead for February, Debbie Mullin will be hosting our book club. She has chosen Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier. This book has been hard to find in a library but is available on Amazon. I will do a review on that next month.

In the meantime, keep reading and enjoy your Christmas season with friends and family. Here are some suggestions for reading from  last night:

• A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
  by Ishmael Beah
• The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent
• Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert
• Authentic Happiness by Martin E.P. Seligman
• Winter Solstice and The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher
• Amazing Grace by Eric Mataxas
• The Chinese Ginger Jars by Myra Scovel
• I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
• Eleni by Nicolas Gage
• Positivity by Barbara Fredickson
• The Travelers Gift by Andy Andrews
• Gifted Hands by Ben Carson
• Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick
• Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Mouk

Reminder: Book club is next Tuesday

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. It is time to be thinking about our next book club meeting.  Book club will be next Tuesday, December 7th at Michelle Holdaway’s home. Her book pick is THE ALCHEMIST by Paulo Coelho.  Also, if possible, come prepared with a month in mind  that would work for you to host. That way we can get our calendar ready for next year. We will need to change our day of the week we meet. It was suggested that we meet the first Wednesday of each month starting in January. Hope to see everyone this month at Michelle’s home.

December’s Book-The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

We had a wonderful evening together, as usual, at Margaret’s home this month. Agatha Christie’s THE MURDER OF ROGER ACHROYD  was an interesting book to talk about. Some of us enjoyed the story and solving the crime was secondary to that enjoyment. Others found the misdirection and lack of clues frustrating. Either way, it was a great discussion and a good book. Thanks Margaret.

Welcome to another new friend: Heather Demars. We are so glad to have you join us.

Michelle Holdaway is hosting our next meeting on Tuesday December 7th. Her pick is:

                                  

Paulo Coelho's enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its simplicity and wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an Alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a meditation on the treasures found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is art eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.

Enjoy reading and see you again in December

Book Club is tomorrow night!

Hey, just a reminder that our book club is tomorrow night at Margaret Vidmar’s home. It will be at 7Pm. Hope you had a chance to read her pick , THE MURDER of ROGER ACHROYD and will come prepared for a lively discussion. Hope to see everyone there. If you would like to carpool, give Diane a call and we can meet at her house and share a ride.

November’s book- The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

We had a wonderful time at Beth Adkin’s home last week. Her book choice generated a great discussion on how we felt about the bonds that tie us to our children, adopted or natural. We all had a lot of good comments and experience to bring to the discussion. Thanks to all who were able to come. A special welcome to Jane Bishop, who is our newest friend. We loved having you there and hope you will come again.

Our next month’s book will be hosted by Margaret Vidmar. Her choice is:

                                    

From Library Journal:  This novel, written in 1927, is considered the best and most successful of the early mysteries. It met with no small outrage when it appeared, as it uses a plot device many readers thought "unfair." There is a full complement of characters populating the cozy English village of King's Abbot: Major Blunt, Colonel Carter, Miss Gannett, the butler, the housekeeper, the narrator, Dr. Sheppard, and his know-it-all sister (the precursor of Miss Marple, according to Christie), and, of course, the redoubtable Hercule Poirot and his little grey cells. There are clues with a capital C to mislead us, and the listener gets so involved with these red herrings (or not) that the very simple truth eludes the puzzler.  A classic of the genre and essential for any fiction collection.

An Amazon review: As other readers note, the ending of this book is among the most clever endings to a work of mystery. Being that readers are often guessing throughout the book, the guessing will become dizzying. Though some of Christie's work now seems dated by today's standards, this book certainly stands the test of time.
Mrs. Ferrars takes her life after poisoning her husband. This happens before the story begins. Roger Ackroyd does not die until over fifty pages into the book. But who would have motive to kill him? At times, the reader may wonder if the book is even actually about Ackroyd's murder. Using his gray matter, Hercule Poirot leads readers though the investigation via Dr. Shepard's narration. The chain of death is linked and good suspects are easy to find. But as the suspect list dwindles, it seems as though there is nobody left.
Though the dialogue is a bit cumbersome at times, this is a short book. It is best read in as little time as possible. Going away from the book for a time may cause the reader to confuse characters. For the ending alone, this book is worth reading even for non-Christie fans.

This should be a great read. Can you figure it out? See you next month at Margaret’s house.

Reminder and Change of Date for Book Club

Just a reminder about book club coming up in October.  It will be at Beth Adkins home. Her address is posted in an earlier entry. Also, the date will need to be changed that week from Tuesday to Thursday. Beth has an unforeseen schedule conflict for that Tuesday. I hope this won’t cause to much trouble.

I have checked out the book from the Liberty Lake library and am able to let anyone borrow it to read. If you need to borrow the book call Diane 255-5515   or Bethany  255-9241.

Hope to see everyone on Thursday October 7th at Beth Adkins home.