Hey everyone. I won't be here for the start of the month discussions as I won't return until  6th December.

I'll leave this post here as an anchor. If you've read it and wanted to discuss it or at least share your thoughts, by all means add them here in the Comments. And share your link if you've written your own post.  
After Dec 1st please.

I'm really enjoying it so far, so I look forward to returning with some opinions and thoughts. I'm finding it very thought provoking!

Our book club read Tenderness of Wolves, here are some of the opinions. SPOILERS!

Lisa from Mommy Mystic "The remote cold location, the distant and many characters, it was all just too much work for the mood I was in." "After the slow warm-up, in the midst of the mystery, especially once Ross and Parker were at the remote post, I was riveted." "...in the end, it was a bit deflating. She didn't give us the nice neat happy-ending wrap-up. Although the mystery is solved, many of the characters longings are not satisfied..." "When I look back on that entire arc, I do see the beauty in what she created, especially in terms of the theme of longing." "...writing, my favorite moments were when her humor came through a bit. One of my favorite lines was when Donald was so exultant at finally being at the trading post after almost freezing to death on the way, and she writes, "Donald can think of nothing more glorious than lying down on a bed for a very long time. Clearly the secret of happiness, he reflects quite cheerfully, is a variation on the general principle of banging your head against a wall, and then stopping." Maybe it's the Buddhist in me, but I really like that line."

Cray Hippie Yoga Mom As an overall rating I would probably give it about 3.5 out of 5, mainly due to the fact that it took me so long to get into it. I am not really a big fan of first person POV, which is another reason for the 3.5. Once I reached the end of the book I was interested in seeing how everyone's lives were intertwined, some of the connections were obvious and some were a bit of a surprise. I did know from the beginning that the person who committed the murder was not Francis, but I could also that there was much more to Francis and Laurent's relationship. Overall, I would say I enjoyed reading it, and I look forward to discussions that will probably come from it.

Mon from Holistic Mama "It was never dull, but it tended to slow and I started to think that the overall concept wasn't going to be of interest to me. Then somewhere after page 140, I got interested. And that interest grew. In the last third of the tale... I was totally hooked and had settled in for the ride. When I finished the last lines and closed the book, I felt satisfied." "The story is atmospheric and I was transported to the vastness, the starkness, the wintry wilderness. And like that vast wilderness, the story is unpredictable, penetrating, but subtle." "The ending doesn't tie up all loose ends.... For me, it befitted the story." "What I enjoyed most... was Penney's observations of human emotion, behaviours, and interactions. She mentions the minutest flicker of the eyes, and does so convincingly. ... We feel satisfied that we sometimes know the true motives behind a character's words, but more importantly, we know how they feel." full post here

Kristy from Mommy's Gems "It engaged me and made me yearn to find out more." "I appreciated the approach in which it looked into shady business practices and the lengths to which people will go to secure a profit. I also enjoyed the historical and geographical enrichment the book provided. Set in Northern Canada, the wilderness becomes alive with deceit and mystery." "The characters were hidden and revealed throughout the novel as each chapter focused on the plot from a different character’s point-of-view." "Our October theme is longing ... The vastness of the wilderness, the slowly unfolding of the truth within the plot, the loose ends that remained untied until the very last chapters and even words were all very fitting." full post here

Jenell from Through the Eye of the Needle "As I continued, I realized that the stiltedness, commas littered like boulders, reflect the way that many of us think—the way the main character was thinking—the way a story is revealed…. The commas were not boulders but lightning flashes in the night." "Stef Penney has a poetic style, creating well-developed characters who harbor enough secrets and veiled longings to keep you unsure and interested in the resolution. All came together in the end, leaving you with just enough answers to be satisfied…and just enough unresolved longing to feel the humanity of it all." full post here

Couple of questions...

1. What did you think of the female protagonist?
2. How do you feel about her decision to return home?

This month's title: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant Amazon US Amazon UK
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Hey everyone,

It's the end of our first month. Hopefully you all got to read one title. Don't forget to send me your review/opinion along with your link by the next couple of days, or just email me a paragraph. If you don't make that deadline, don't fret, you can pop in when I blog the reviews and add your opinions in the comments, no problem.

I read Tenderness of Wolves but have only made it 1/3 the way through Time of Cholera.

email me

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So how is everyone doing with their reading, blog posts?

If you've been following my recent posts at HM you'll know my head has been overflowing with thoughts on mothering. I was also on a crochet kick at the start of October, and to really top things, amazing online connections blossoming.

This is all to say that although I had already read The Tenderness of Wolves, I have been trying to read Love in the Time of Cholera, and I'm only on page 75, and not only is that not much, if you've read/are reading this, bloody heck! it feels like I've read 2 novels just in those pages!! But am I enjoying it? I'm giving nothing away!

So the Dark Moon is around the corner and I need its energy to pull me away from blogging and blog-hopping. I'll be curling up with the above novel and we'll see how I emerge on the other side.

There's always time for reading!

Of course, then I'll end up finishing it early, and then be all like, so now what do I read?

How are you getting on? Have you gone for both novels?
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How fun! There is already good interest in the Club and a handful of members have mentioned they have bought/borrowed the first titles, just finished reading them, and I received one review!

I'm hoping this is enthusiasm and not that I've failed to make clear that you read those books in THAT month. So tenderness of Wolves is read in October and we discuss it in November. Right? Right!? blink

I read A Thousand Splendid Suns in a few days, (no crocheting.... or much else) but will wait to review it. It's our April 2010 pick! But a friend had it so I took the opportunity.

I'm starting Love in the Time of Cholera today. Really interested in this one. I've never read any Gabriel Garcia Marquez and have gone back and forth with his titles, as to whether to try them or not.

That's something I enjoy about book clubs, you're given the motivation to read something you may never had. Whether you enjoy it or not, you tried it.

So, where are you? Have you in possession the next title/s? Started reading? Finshed!?

And does anyone have any further suggestions for those months where we have just the one title? I'm surprised not to have had any for the mothers and daughters theme.
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Faro's Daughter, Georgette Heyer
Worth:
Enjoyed:

How marvelous! Okay, best I expand on that.

I gave Heyer a go because my love of classics, and specifically 'romantic' classics, means that titles by Austen and Eliot are soon exhausted.

Now, Heyer doesn't have the wit and charm of Austen, nor the brilliance and insight of Eliot. Also, she isn't writing as a contemporary but rather as a historical writer. This does show through with what is fairly judged as an overuse of detail and terms. But I have to admire Heyer for taking the trouble to sound authentic, and I believe that she succeeds.

So, while she lacks the finesse of the great ladies above, she gives as a whopper of a romantic tale that befits any Elizabeth and Darcy -type entanglement. And whilst we're not reading Heyer for her mastery in prose, her writing is respectable.

The first chapter or so had me thinking that this was going to be a very dry tale. But once our heroine was insulted - I'll say no more - things perked up considerably. I could't put it down. I mean, the main thrust is predicatable, but the details much less so. There are many interesting twists and turns. It's also very funny in parts. The heroine is admirable and the hero, while perhaps lacking the Darcy swoon factor, is manly and strong, and very rich of course.

If you love a good romantic entaglement of the old-fashioned kind, you can't go wrong with this one. I'll be choosing more of Heyer's titles. But they may have to wait as my book club list is long!


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The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Worth:
Enjoyed:
506 pgs

Let me just begin by stating that I can understand why so many have enjoyed this book, including a friend of mine. However.....

I didn't. It was just too reminiscent of the Spanish soap operas we are inundated with over here. Much like English ones (Bold & The Beautiful, etc) but the craziness notched up a little. You know those shows; pregnant with the son of your own twin sister who you thought was your mother and long dead but now resurrected with the face of your best friend. Situations that too easily move from exciting to sheer fantastical melodrama.

And don't misunderstand, I enjoy the fantastical. Like Water for Chocolate is a favourite of mine. But I dislike the fantastical for the sake of it, which is why it reminded me of soap operas. I also enjoy gothic literature, and this fell quite short of that offering too. It's Dickens gone muddled.

And something that only a mild-feminist might notice, was the portrayal of women. Yes, it's the 1950's in macho Spain. Yet, there existed strong women even then amazingly enough. In this novel, women are either angels or whores, excessively oppressed or martyrs to love. Not just their portrayal, but the regular talk about them. As a woman, I wouldn't blame you for being offended. I just found it tiresome after 100+ pages, let alone after 300.

I can't deny that it's an interesting story. Although I feel Zafón cheats somewhat with countless mini stories squeezed in. Often stories that stopped bordering on the ridiculous and simply lived in that land. I do realise that a lot of it was humourous, but again, it just became tiresome to me. The ending, well, it was never coming. I don't mean it was simply a long read, but rather that he seemed to want to spell it all out for us to the very last detail. This wasn't satisfying, it was pedantic.

It's fairly well-written, although many phrases and images would sound better in Spanish. And it's often heavy-handed. To call the novel atmospheric is a gross understatement. With an abundance of dark skies, shadows, blood, and 'bruised' clouds, it reads like a stage-designer gone prop happy.

I don't even feel that he gave us a true essence of Barcelona. There's a lot of mentions of ramblas and calles and small alleyways, but that a Spanish city does not make. I can understand that this aspect, if the reader feels Barcelona, is where the charm is for them.

I couldn't engage with the story and I couldn't engage with the young male protagonist at all. But I didn't hate it either. It was just okay for me.

I wouldn't discourage others from trying it. If you enjoy high melodrama for its own sake and a taste of Europe, this could prove highly entertaining. If you prefer your novels with more subtle beauty and literary finesse, then you might want to skip it.

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Hosted by Should Be Reading. A bookish meme.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

"...few things leave a deeper mark on a reader than the first book that finds its way into his heart. Those first images, the echo of words we think have left behind, accompany us throughout our lives and sculpt a place in our memory to which, sooner or later - no matter how many books we read, how many worlds we discover, or how much we learn or forget - we will return."

pg6
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An online book club for mamas who love reading.
Our focus is female characters, female writers, feminine themes - (but none necessarily dominant features).
All mamas are welcome. Join in any time.

Summary:
You choose a book from the suggested list or any other title that you feel fits into the theme. You write a blog post review or discussion, or a paragraph that you email to me. I collect all links and snippets and post them at the start of the following month. We comment on each others' thoughts and opinions. I create further posts if an idea becomes significant. Participate whenever you can, no commitement necessary.

Details
One book a month
- a month to read, ponder, and write your own blog post or paragraph for this blog.

Discussion
- up to 2 weeks into the next month to share and comment
- discussion is light (or intense if you like!) and focusing on what we liked and didn't like, and the thoughts on the theme.
- I will create additional posts (3 max) as the discussion/participation warrants
- at bottom of each post comment section is a 'subscribe by email' link - that's for subscribing to the comments.

Themes
- books are chosen by theme
- gives everyone a chance to pick and choose between a few suggestions, or come up with your own
- suggestions come from any member (by all means suggest a title you've read before and enjoyed), just comment below

Participation
- whenever you can
- skip a month if you can't make it, skip more
- join in at any time during month to read the book, (actually you can read it any time before then too) but you must have your blog post or paragraph in to me by last day of that book's month.

Your words
- you can either create your own review on your blog and I will link to it, or just send me your thoughts via email.
- I will create a post showcasing short paragraphs of everyone's thoughts, which is then open for commenting.
- creating your own blog post ensures you have your full say, but if you're happy to simply share a short opinion here that's fine.

Your blog post
- rate from 1-5
- discuss writing style, characterisation, plot, themes, what resonated with you and what didn't, book club theme, and feminine aspect.
- does NOT need to be formal or thorough, just a thought or two for each point is fine.

Link love
- I'll share your review here
- you can add a button to your sidebar if you're a regular or want to promote the club, or just in your blog post
- please make the button direct to this post (if you copy & paste everything in the text areas below, it should work correctly).

Button 1

<center><a href="http://chewingaleaf.blogspot.com/2009/09/book-club-mamas.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Book Club Mamas" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bDiZEOVqqw4/SqS0V7pZVGI/AAAAAAAABTc/Nc0yTQJT3Ig/s400/bcmamas2.jpg" /></a></center>

Button 2

<center><a href="http://chewingaleaf.blogspot.com/2009/09/book-club-mamas.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Book Club Mamas" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_bDiZEOVqqw4/SqS3jyxjvWI/AAAAAAAABTk/qquxWBxylMI/s400/bcmamas3b.jpg" /></a></center>



2009 Themes
Example schedule:
Read Tenderness of Wolves in October. Have the blog post or paragraph to me by last day of October.
We discuss it in November.

please comment below and suggest further titles (up to 3 for each theme would be good)

October
longing

- The Tenderness of Wolves, Stef Penney ... Amazon US Amazon UK
- Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez ... Amazon US Amazon UK

November
strong women

- The Red Tent by Anita Diamant Amazon US Amazon UK
- Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill Amazon US Amazon UK
- The Birth House by Ami McKay Amazon US Amazon UK

December-January
food

- Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel ... Amazon US Amazon UK
- Chocolat by Joanne Harris ... Amazon US Amazon UK
- The Mistress of Spices by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni ... Amazon US Amazon UK

2010 Themes

February
mothers, mothers and daughters

- The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan ... Amazon US Amazon UK
- Zel, Donna Jo Napoli
March
marriage

- The Awakening by Kate Chopin ... Amazon US Amazon UK

April
oppression, repression

- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood ... Amazon US Amazon UK
- A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini ... Amazon US Amazon UK

May
survival

- The Color Purple by Alice Walker ... Amazon US Amazon UK
- The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan ... Amazon US Amazon UK

June
magic

- The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov ... Amazon US Amazon UK
- The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories by Susanna Clarke ... Amazon US Amazon UK
- Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (1000+ pgs!)... Amazon US Amazon UK

still working on the following:

July
madwomen

- Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

August
women and other cultures

- The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende ...
- Dreaming in Cuban by

September
difficult motherhood

- The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing
- We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver


October-November
gothic

- Flannery O'Connor : Collected Works
- Jamaica Inn, Daphne Du Maurier

December
gender, women's roles

- The Passion of New Eve by Angela Carter


Click to email me:
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