Clubbing in February -- Part 2

The Questers discussed Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner in February. The book is set between 1938 and 1947 with the earlier years focusing on Rosie in the United States, and the later years focusing on Helen in Europe. Rosie is a teenager who loses her family to an accident and is taken in by her employers. Remembering her instructions from her parents throughout her childhood, Rosie tries to make it to adulthood without anyone finding out what makes her different. Being "different" in the 1939 was a very dangerous trait, even in the United States. 

Helen is the sister of Rosie's employer and she left for Europe years ago to be a nanny. She considers the families she works for to be her own. When Hitler begins to invade the continent though, a child she tends is in grave danger. The decisions Helen makes to keep Brigitta safe have life altering consequences. 

Only the Beautiful is a profound story of a dark time in history, making for a deep and thoughtful discussion for the Questers. They gave the book a solid four stars.

 

The Young Soul Readers discussed You Have a Match by Emma Lord in February. This is a cute coming of age tale set at a summer camp with a splash of social media stardom. When Abby finds out she has an older sister she never knew about, and that this older sister happens to be an Instagram star, her life and her potential romance with long-time best friend Leo, is thrown into a tailspin. While trying to unravel the mysterious reasons her parents gave her sister up for adoption, Abby realizes there are many more ups, downs, and surprises that need to be embraced if one is to truly experience life. 

The Young Soul Readers gave the book a respectable three stars.

The Readers discussed Recitatif by Toni Morrison in February. Morrison weaves a story of two girls thrown together as roommates in a girls' shelter when they were eight years old. As the reader gets to know Twyla and Roberta, we know that one girl is white and one is black, but we don't know which is which. After they grow up and lost track of each other for years, they are finally reunited. Separated by experiences, opinions, and conflicts, there is still an undeniable bond that was forged when they were young girls. 

This edition of Recitatif had an introduction that was almost as long as the book itself, and The Readers felt like it told them all about the story before they even read it. The discussion group gave it a struggling 2.2 stars and put it in the "don't bother" category. 

Clubbing in February -- Part 1

Overbooked discussion club members discussed James Baldwin's classic, If Beale Street Could Talk, for their February meeting. This is one of the twentieth century's most memorable novels and is considered by some to be the best novel ever written by the brilliant James Baldwin. 

What could have been a sweet love story between Tish and Fonny, takes a sad turn when Fonny is accused of a crime he didn't commit. Baldwin takes the reader on a roller-coaster of emotions as Fonny's family and Tish try to clear his name, hoping their love can survive.

The novel received an overall 3.8 positive rating from the Overbooked group. Members agreed that Baldwin's book is of important literary merit but also acknowledged that parts of it could be difficult to read. 

The Night Owls enjoyed discussing The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion for their February meeting. The light-hearted story follows socially awkward Don, a professor of genetics, and Rosie, a fiery and charismatic barmaid, as they each search for something special in their lives. Don is looking for a wife; Rosie is looking for her father. While completely incompatible according to Don's sixteen page scientific survey, the two develop a chemistry that defies mathematical formulas. 

Readers who are looking for a book that marries humor and romance, will be pleased with this novel. The Night Owls gave it a solid four out of five stars. 

Once Upon a Crime book club members discussed Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo for their February meeting. Castillo once again shows her expertise in writing about the Amish life and landscape while mixing in suspense and intrigue. This time, the protagonist, Katie Burkholder, returns to her hometown over fifteen years after leaving the Amish life for a big-city life in law enforcement. As the new police chief of Painter's Creek, Ohio, her first task is to solve a murder and prevent anyone else from meeting the same fate as the victim. Secrets are exposed and relationships are betrayed in this sizzling crime thriller.

The Once Upon a Crime members found the book riveting and gave it a very high rating of 4.7 stars.