questions for Chisty

OK Ladies, I'm due anyday and bored so here's to boredom.

I loved this book. I'm a huge fan of the pioneer lifestyle anyway and love the reality that this book gives to that. I love that Christy feels like she is going back in time and through the experience opens her eyes to see not only the reality, but the beauty. I love the growth and personal development.

1. Which character did you find yourself drawn to?

2. Which character transformation did you enjoy most?

3. What theme struck you most?

4. Ask any question or comment as you wish!

5. Did you agree with the twist in the end?

I'll put my comments in the comment spot so I don't ruin the story for anyone eles?

A book club post for your kiddies

My cousin's wife has this adorable blog - Sarah Jane, Illustrating Childhood - where she shares her art and lots of fun ideas for kids. Her latest post featured a web site where you can actually download old record books. Do you remember listening to book on record as a child? I loved following along to my Disney story books. Sleeping Beauty and Snow White were always my favorite.

I love that someone has taken the time to make so many children stories available online. The site is called Kiddie Records

Check it out! I know it is one I will bookmark.

Oo La la!

Everyone thank Lisa for our chic new look. I love it! Thanks so much for taking the time.

I'm still working on getting Christy from the library, but I hope the rest of you are enjoying reading it now.

Does anyone have any friends they would like to join the book club? Just email me their email address and I can send an invite. If you don't have my email, just leave a comment.

Thanks again, Lisa!

Discussion on the Book of Lost Things

I hope you all enjoyed the book. I sure did, even though i really have to admit that it freaked me out a lot of the time.

For those of you who may not have had a chance to read it, it is a dark fantasy about David, a boy living in England during WWII, who crosses over into another world while following the voice of his dead mother. He finds himself in a world where fantasy and fairy tales are real, but that are dark and twisted versions of the tales he heard as a child. And although he meets a few people to assist him on his way, most of the characters are dark and creepy.

I found that the book was very well written. As I read it, I kept thinking, "This is what Greggory Maguire's books should be like." I loved watching the internal and external struggles David had throughout the book, even though at times you wished you could close your eyes. In fact, the only reason I didn't completely love the book, was because it was so creepy, it gave me nightmares and I had to stop reading it before bed. It really was a great read though.

My questions are as follows:

1. What was your first impression of David? How did your impressions of him change throughout the book?

At first David made me a little nervous. He was so stricken with fear that his mother would die, that he had become obsessive trying to do things to keep her alive - even though all the things he did were actually superstitious and would not actually help her. After his father married Rose, David made me annoyed, as he had become a very selfish version of himself. It actually wasn't until the point in the story where he followed Roland into the fortress, that I began to like him as a character. I think the realization that his mother was really gone, helped him grow and heal.

2. Did you have any idea how dangerous or powerful the Crooked Man was?

I have to admit, the Crooked Man was the reason I had nightmares while reading this book. Something about the way Connolly wrote him really terrified me, even though for the most part of the book, he was lurking in the shadows. Part of that might have to do with the fact that he was the only one from their world who could cross over into ours. However, even with that, it wasn't until the end that I realised just how evil he really was.

3. Connolly did a fantastic job of weaving in different fairy tales into the story, however distorted he made them. Which was your favorite example?

I would have to say that the section about the 7 dwarfs and Snow White was my favorite, mostly because the dwarfs were the only lighthearted part of the book. They were so clever and funny, it was a nice break from the rest of the book.

**I would love to know a few of your questions if you want to add them when you answer mine. I hope you all enjoyed it :). And I am excited to read next month's book Jessie - I have never read Christy before.

March Book!

Just to get you thinking about it. Our March Book is Christy by Catherine Marshall. I am excited to read this one. I read it ages ago and loved it. It's a good growth book!

The Book of Lost Things

This is our book for February. It is set during WWII, but is a dark fantasy. I am only a few chapters in, but it is very intriguing and a little creepy. Should be fun :).

February Book???

Hi all, I was trying to narrow down my choice of our book for February. I am torn between this great book I borrowed from a friend, The Book of Lost Things, by John Connolly, or Exodus, by Leon Uris - a wonderful historical fiction novel about Israel and the 1948 war. What are your thoughts? They are both longer, although Exodus is around 600 pages, and the other is just under 500. Let me know what you think, and I'll let you know the final decision asap :).

PS. I just read the most wonderful book for my local book club, A Curse Dark as Gold - so good!! You would all love it. Hmm, I guess maybe we could do that one too. Let me know.

great book series

I don't know if any of you are familiar with Brandon Mull and the Fablehaven series, but they are awesome. I have enjoyed them so much! They are filled with fantastic creatures and very clever in their delivery. Not to mention engaging! Anyway, I just thought I'd share!

A Swiftly Tilting Planet Discussion

I really enjoyed reading this book. All of her books in the Time series have been wonderful, so far as I have read.

1. If any haven't read the first 2 books, did you find any of the allusions to the first two books confusing, or were you able to stay with the story?

Having read the first 2 books, I didn't find the references to the first two books confusing. I also don't think that it would be confusing to someone who hasn't read them. They were there but you didn't need to know the stories to understand this one. It could stand as it's own.

2. How do you feel about the main premise of the book, Charles Wallace's search for the 'might have been', the one thing he could change in the past to completely alter the future?

I think it is totally possible to have one moment where you could venture down one path or another and completely change your future. Would it be cool to be able to go back and change something in the past, definitely, but I would have to be rock bottom bad to do that. I'd be afraid to do that now, I really like my life and the choices I made led me here, so I wouldn't want to change anything.

3. Anybody else have questions? My head is still stuffed up and I can't think.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

PS, Lisa, I think we should do an open call for whomever wants to host. I know I will need a couple months 'off' for my move. Anybody up for February?

Merry Christmas to All

Hi all - Just wanted to say Merry Christmas. Also, I was wondering if we have any kind of schedule for the year yet? I know we are taking January off, but who has Feb and so on? Just trying to get a heads up on when I go next :).

And Cat, I loved the book for this month and look forward to discussing it :).