Questers -- December 13, 2023

The Questers ended 2023 on a high note with a book almost everyone in the group liked. The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin received 3.6 stars.

The book introduces readers to three main characters: Alice, Jake, and Harry. All three have experienced great loss, loneliness, and grief, but when their lives surprisingly intersect on Alice's bee farm, we see a beautiful friendship develop. As the bees are threatened by the newest chemicals being used by local farms, the three misfits band together to help the bees, their community, and each other. 
 

The Questers agreed that this was a pleasant read with very likable characters. When we put the book down, we felt good about what we read. It also provided a lot of interested information about bee keeping and bees in general. There was just enough conflict to make it interesting without leaving the reader feeling a lot of angst. 

Once Upon a Crime -- December 5, 2023

The Once Upon a Crime book club met to discuss our December book, One by One, by Ruth Ware. With seven members present, it received 4.2 stars out of 5.

Most of us were caught off guard by the ending. There were many twists, turns, and hints throughout the book that we thought pointed to other characters. 

A group of people from a business travel to a winter chalet for a bonding trip. They get checked in and rest for the evening. The next morning they all leave to go skiing. Just as they are preparing to come back, they experience an avalanche. One of the members is knocked off of the mountain. The rest of the group make it back to the chalet and are devastated when they realized one member doesn't return. Many of the buildings are knocked down and buried, leaving them with no electricity or Internet. The group is torn up over the loss of their friend. The next morning they discover another member of the group is found dead. Many strange things are starting to happen. Two more people are killed and one comes up missing.

The discussion group agreed this is a very good book. If this sounds like a book club you may be interested in, let us know and we can add you to the mystery book club. Our next meeting is January 2nd and we will be reading A Cat About Town, by Cate Conte. 

 

Overbooked -- December 4, 2023

Overbooked got into the holiday spirits (pun intended) with December’s book club pick, the Charles Dickens classic novella, A Christmas Carol. The story begins on Christmas Eve as the reader is introduced to the main character Ebenezer Scrooge, the penny-pinching curmudgeon who is visited by the spirit of his long-deceased business partner, Jacob Marley, who brings him a dire warning and a chance for redemption from three Christmas spirits. 

Members discussed the impact of Dickens’ story and how it has become a cultural touchstone not just in literature but in other forms of media as well, particularly in film. One member commented “Imagine the world without A Christmas Carol” and others were hard pressed to disagree, especially given how quintessential it has become in relation to the holiday season. Members were also tickled by the connection between the story's name and the chapters being called “staves” which is not immediately clear to non-music reading folks. For members that have previously read works by the author, they agreed that A Christmas Carol is probably the best entry point for anyone wanting to dip their toes in the Dickensian literary pool, as his other novels can be a bit more difficult to wade through. 

Overall, the Overbookers were delighted to have read the novel and still be surprised by a story we all know so well even if you never read the book previously. A Christmas Carol was given a positive 4.4 out of 5 star-rating.