#24: The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble

On my summer trip last year to Bermuda, I stopped in to the Bermuda Bookstore and found Georgia Bottoms, which was a book so hysterical and wonderful, I had to stop back in during my spring break trip to see if I could find another wonderful book.  I found The Reading Group.  This may be my new favorite book (do I say that about them all?).

The Reading Group tells the story of a newly founded book club.  It's members are Nicole, Harriet, Polly, Susan, and Clare.  The cast of characters is listed at the beginning of the novel and I have to admit that this scared me off a bit.  I was wondering how complex the novel must be to require a list of characters at the beginning, but it wasn't at all.  In fact, after about 100 pages in, I think I could've described the cast with no trouble, offering more details than the author.  They are that well crafted by Noble.

The book is sectioned off into 12 parts: one for each book that the group reads and discusses.  During each section, we get a glimpse into each character's life and what we see is how closely these ladies'  lives parallel the books they have chosen to read.  It's quite brilliant, really.  It also made me realize that when we read, we take our lives into the books.  If the book can't teach us something about ourselves, we tend not to like it as much as those books that do.  I have felt this for years about the books I read.  It was nice to have my thoughts and feelings validated, even if only by fictional characters.

I can not tell you how much I loved reading this story.  I felt heart broken for Clare, and angry with Cressida and Elliot, yet by the end I adored their sweet story and their darling Spencer.  I hated Gavin and envied Nicole, but only partly.  I think I am probably most like Harriet, in more ways than I care to admit (her round figure being tops on that list). I hope that I can be as good of a mom as Polly and I hope that when my own mom gets older I can be as loving as Susan.  What I really wish is that I could be the sixth member of The Reading Group.

This lovely story made me seriously contemplate beginning a Reading Group.  I am sure that I could find some lovely friends who would read with me.  But keeping my reading to one book a month would hard for me. Unless I read the story over and over (like I did with Wonder).  Rob doesn't seem to think that I would like being part of a group.  He thinks that I'd become bothered by the lack of discussion of the book in favor of discussions of more gossipy things.  And since I don't drink wine, he thinks that few book clubs would even invite me.  He's probably right.  It seems as though these five fictional ladies created their group because they needed an excuse to get out of the house once a month.  I don't feel that need, but I do often feel the need to talk about what I read and to hear other's ideas and thoughts.  I guess I fulfill my end of things with this blog.  But I rarely hear what other people think.  Blogs are often one sided that way, I guess.  Maybe one day I will be invited to join a group and I can read and talk about what I read.  It will be like college all over again, minus the grades.  Could be fun.

Read this book.  You will love it.  I promise.
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie

#23 Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

Before reading this novel, I had no idea that Orphan Trains even existed.  Did you?  Trains full of orphaned children, heading west, lead by chaperones in search of families for these abandoned children?  That part of my American History classes was skipped right on over.  All three times, apparently.

This novel was so touching, yet so disturbing, as you can imagine.  Not all of the orphans were greeted and welcomed by parents who just wanted a child to love.  Some wanted additional workers for their farms.  Some wanted mothers' helpers for already large families. Some wanted child labor for their small businesses.  While I am very proud to be an American, I am not always proud of my nation's history. Especially where women and children are concerned.

Orphan Train focuses on two parallel stories, those of Vivian and Molly.  One was an orphan long ago, one is an orphan now.  Their lives and stories intersect and we come to love both women for their strength of character and we come to be proud of all that they overcome and achieve together.

As I read this story, I related most with Vivian.  And wanted to strangle Molly, at times.  While I was never abandoned by my parents, I did have a rather bumpy childhood due to issues within my home.  I had enough guidance from other family members, and enough sense in my own head, to make a decision to be a good girl.  I didn't rock the boat (Molly capsized hers), I followed the rules, and I did what I needed to do until I was old enough to leave and be on my own.  I was, Vivian (to a certain point).  Molly chose a different path for her life and I was so happy that she found Jack, a boy who could see beyond the Goth makeup and clothes and attitude and who was able to provide Molly with an opportunity that changed her life.  In turn, she helped to change Vivian's.

This story is amazing.  It was an easy read in the sense that the details were rich and full, you could follow the back and forth story with ease, and you never wanted to put the book down once you began.  It will make you think and ponder and it will make you sad, at times.  But the ending is so full of hope, it will make you smile and glad you read this story.

Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie

#22 Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Yes, I re-read Wonder.  I re-read it mostly because I am supposed to lead a book discussion at my daughter's school next week and I felt as though I needed to re-read it to refresh my old memory.  But, as I was reading the ending of this amazing story for the second time, crying on the plane to Bermuda, making my entire family shake their heads ("There goes mom again, crying over another book), I realized that if ever there was a book to be read twice, maybe to even be read once a year, Wonder is that book.

I am more touched by the second reading than the first.  But for all of the same reasons as the first time.  I want to buy Wonder for everyone I know.  It is a book we all should read.  Even the adults.  Perhaps especially the adults.

Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie