Clubbing in May -- Part Two

The Night Owls read The 100-Year Old Man who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson for the May discussion. The nursing home that Allan Karlsson lives in is about to throw him a birthday party to celebrate his 100th year. Allan has other plans though. He sneaks out the window and sets off on a journey filled with surprises and dangers. The reader soon learns that his life was already filled with great historical events and this is just a continuation of a remarkable life. The consensus from the Night Owls was that the hijinks-filled book was an enjoyable comedic read and very reminiscent of the movie adaptation of Forrest Gump. It is a perfect read for fans of Swedish authors like Fredrik Backman.

The Readers discussed The Curious Case of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick for the May discussion. Arthur Pepper is a lovable widow who struggles to find his place in the world after his beloved wife dies. When he discovers a charm bracelet that belonged to her, he sets off on an adventure to learn the significance of each of the charms, none of which he has ever seen before. As he gets to know a side of his wife he never knew, he grows and learns more about himself as well. The discussion group enjoyed the book and gave it a strong 3.83 rating. They really liked watching Arthur travel from one adventure to another.

The Young Soul Readers read The Problem with Forever by Jennifer Armentrout for the May discussion. Mallory Dodge experienced a living nightmare four years ago and has tried to fly under the radar since then, saying as little as possible. Now, she enters a public school for her senior year after being homeschooled for years. When she reconnects with Rider, her childhood friend, she realizes they are both grappling with lingering scars from their pasts. This is a strong, well-written novel about friendship and survival. The Young Soul Readers gave it 2.5 stars.

Clubbing in May -- Part 1

The Questers discussed The Maid by Nita Prose in May. The first book in a series, this mystery follows efficient and etiquette driven Molly Gray as she cleans rooms at The Regency Grand Hotel. The reader soon realizes through a series of conversations and events that Molly is probably on the spectrum and takes words at their literal meanings and trusts people to be honest when representing themselves to her. This leads to big trouble for her when she discovers a guest at the hotel has died under suspicious circumstances and she is the pain suspect. 
The Questers found Molly to be endearing and rooted for her to find happiness at the end. The group agreed that the many red herrings planted by the author were very good distractions and there were surprises at the end that no one saw coming. The book received a 3.5 rating from the group. 

Overbooked discussed The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan in May. The book follows two generations of women. The mothers are Chinese born immigrants to San Francisco, while the daughters are American born. The reader sees the painful memories and experiences of these women, as well as their hope for the future, through the perspectives of both generations.

Overbooked members generally enjoyed the novel, but agreed that the various points of views and character names often made it hard to keep track of people and events. The group gave the book a 3.5 rating. 

Once Upon a Crime members read The Library Book by Susan Orlean for May. This nonfiction book is based on the true story surrounding the mystery of a 1986 fire at the Los Angeles Public Library. This catastrophic event damaged and destroyed over a million books. Arson was suspected, but never proven. The reader is not only left trying to figure out how and why this happened, but is also given a glimpse into the crucial role libraries play in our communities and society.

The discussion group gave this title a 3.5 rating.