Book Club: Aug/Sept/Oct

Thought Catalog

It's been a bit since I've updated on book club, but we're still going strong. We've been meeting monthly and I was been able to reach my Goodreads challenge goal for the year! Although not everyone has loved every book, I've liked that we're taking the time to read and then come together and discuss and analyze each book, whether we loved or hated it. I feel like it's getting me back into the groove of looking at literature critically and I missed having the opportunity to do that. So, without further ado, here are the books we read in August, September and October:

August
Where'd You Go Bernadette
by: Maria Semple

For our third book, I chose Where'd You Go Bernadette. I had heard of it, was always intrigued by the cover, and it was being turned into a movie. So, I thought what the heck we could see the movie after we read it! Unfortunately, this one was a miss. Personally, I found the plot confusing and there were far too many characters. The format of the story left a lot to be desired and I didn't even find myself interested in the plot until I was half done with the book. It was one of those stories where I had to force myself to keep reading. It wasn't really an enjoyable read for me. I think the plot had potential, there were some moments where I rooted for a character but those moments were too far and few between.
Rating: 2/5

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September
​The Hating Game
by: Sally Thorne

Due to our unfortunate selection of the last two books, for our fourth book one of our members decided to pre-read it. This one, The Hating Game, as opposed to our previous selections was more of your typical romance novel. Don't get me wrong, I am a sucker for a love story, however, I don't know if it has to do with maturing or the ways in which I've grown in today's world, but this one wasn't my favorite. I enjoyed it more than the previous book, but it was too Hallmark, boy-hates-girl-hates-boy for me. A lot of it just felt stereotypical and not romantic at all.  I felt the male love interest was too aggressive and controlling and the female lead was a little over the top dramatic. I think the story might have benefitted from being multi-perspective considering it was very one-sided.  The writing was well crafted and for me when characters cause me to feel anything, whether it be positive or negative, it's worth reading. But, I just feel like in today's world, better perspectives of romantic relationships should be what we read and write about.
Rating: 3/5

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October
Orphan Train
by: Christina Baker Kline

I absolutely loved this book! Orphan Train is a historical fiction novel based in 1920s America that coincides with a similar story of a young girl in the modern world in the year 2011. The juxtaposition of the hardships of both characters made the story even more interesting. I've always loved this genre, and intertwining the stories of two strong, fierce female characters that end up learning from each other made for a great novel. This was the first book since the start of our book club that held my attention and intrigued me until the very end. It was heartbreaking and compelling and I was rooting for both heroines in their individual and conjoined journeys. The balance between a part of history that I didn’t know much about and modern day worked really well and I think it helped the plot flow easily. I definitely recommend this one.
Rating: 5/5

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