February Book Club

My IRL book club met this past Friday to discuss February’s book, which was BOOK LOVERS by Emily Henry. We met a week later than normal and on a different day of the week so there were only 9 of us that met. Here are some highlights of our discussion:

  • There was a pretty even split between who loved and liked it vs. who disliked it.
  • I was the only one who rated it 5 stars. There were a few 4 stars, two 3 stars, and several 2 stars.
  • A couple people hated the characters.
  • A couple people felt like the story was too unbelievable.
  • One person loved the banter at first, but then felt it got old.
  • A couple people felt the characters got physical way too quickly.
  • One person hated Nora’s constant reminder that the events in the book were reminiscent of tropes.
  • Those of us who loved / liked it enjoyed the banter and sexual tension. We also loved the characters, especially Charlie.

Even though BOOK LOVERS is a contemporary romance, it still garnered a pretty good discussion. We often talked over each other trying to get all our thoughts out. We had a pretty lively discussion about sex in books and what everyone’s comfort levels are. I shared how I rate sexual content in my reviews and a few people really appreciated it, but a few others were annoyed by it.

Next month’s book is BEARTOWN by Fredrik Backman. I’m looking forward to reading it. I’ve only read one Backman, ANXIOUS PEOPLE, but it was one of my two favorite reads in 2022. Hopefully, I’ll love BEARTOWN just as much.

Have you read BOOK LOVERS? If so, what do you think about my book club’s discussion?

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January Book Club

My IRL book club met this past Wednesday to discuss January’s book, which was REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt. There were 11 of us that met and only one person hadn’t read the book. Here are some highlights of our discussion:

  • Almost all of us loved it, each of us giving it a rating of 4 or 5 stars on Goodreads. The person who didn’t “love” it still rated it 4 stars.
    • She didn’t “love” it because she didn’t have all the feels like the rest of us.
    • She also thought Marcellus wasn’t necessary to the plot while the rest of us thought he was the best part of the story.
  • Most of us were a little leery about reading a book from an octopus’ POV, but Marcellus quickly won us over.
  • I commented that Marcellus reminded me a bit of Hank from FINDING DORY.
  • One person said she wanted more from the ending. View Spoiler »
  • Some of us compared REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES to something written by Fredrik Backman. Both authors can draw you right in to the story and characters, even the unlikeable ones.
  • View Spoiler »
  • A few of us mentioned that Shelby Van Pelt has a lot to live up to with her next book.
  • A couple of people recommended we watch MY OCTOPUS TEACHER on Netflix. It’s a documentary about a common octopus and her friendship with the videographer.

I love that REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES has a lot of meat to it. It garnered a great discussion. Even though we all rated it pretty high, there were other things to talk about.

Next month’s book is BOOK LOVERS by Emily Henry. I’m very excited to read it. I’ve heard a lot of great things.

Have you read REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES? If so, what do you think about my book club’s discussion?

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December Book Club

Due to how busy I’ve been, this is the first time I’ve read my IRL book club’s book and attended the discussion since September. I’m glad I was able to go because not only do I love my book club, I look forward to December’s meeting all year.

We met in-person last Wednesday evening to discuss December’s book, THE CHRISTMAS MURDER GAME by Alexandra Benedict. There were thirteen of us who met together and only one person didn’t read the book. Here are some highlights of our discussion:

  • Most of us listened to the audiobook. One person both listened and read the physical book.
  • Most of the group really disliked the book, rating it 1 or 2 stars on Goodreads. The rest of us were so-so about it, rating it 3 stars.
  • Those of us who rated the book 3 stars thought it held our interest which kept us from being bored.
  • Some of us thought the premise sounded promising, and most of us thought the execution was too convoluted and felt forced.
  • One person wanted there to be more types of word clues rather than just anagrams. Most of us thought the author tried too hard thinking up the anagrams which made the writing clunky and irritating.
  • Several people said the time setting was confusing. Sometimes it felt modern day (e.g. cell phones, internet) and other times it felt victorian (e.g. corsets, View Spoiler » word usage).
  • Most of us knew who the antagonist was right away. However, none of us guessed the ending.
  • Most of us didn’t care about the protagonist or any of the other characters, whether they were murdered or they were the murderer.

The discussion was pretty lively considering none of us really loved THE CHRISTMAS MURDER GAME. We often talked over each other trying to get all our thoughts out, which isn’t always the case at our meetings.

The rest of our book club was our annual Christmas party. For the party, we each bring a treat to share if we can. This year we had a wide variety–homemade shortbread cookies, peppermint Oreo ice cream pie, oranges, muddy buddies, tortilla chips with seven-layer bean dip, and potato chips with homemade dip. It was all really yummy.

We also have a book exchange. We each bring a wrapped book, one of our favorite reads from the year, and then we play a white elephant type swapping game. Once each book is unwrapped, we play one more round so everyone has a chance to “steal” the last book unwrapped if they want it.

We had quite a few awesome books up for grabs. I would’ve been happy with any of them. I brought MEET ME AT THE LAKE by Carley Fortune and I ended up with MIDNIGHT AT THE BLACKBIRD CAFE by Heather Webber, which looks interesting. The other books up for grabs were:

  • THE ADVENTURES OF AMINA AL-SIRAFI by Shannon Chakraborty
  • THE BLUE ZONES by Dan Buettner
  • THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END by Adam Silvera
  • MY BEST FRIEND’S EXORCISM by Grady Hendrix
  • CHICKEN SISTERS by KJ Dell’Antonia
  • THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF COYOTE SUNRISE by Dan Gemeinhart
  • ALL MY RAGE by Sabaa Tahir
  • SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE by Claire Keegan
  • BEAST OF NOOR by Janet Lee Carey
  • DAISY DARKER by Alice Feeney

Next month, we’re reading REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt. I’m excited to read this one.

Anyway, have you read THE CHRISTMAS MURDER GAME? If so, what do you think about my book club’s discussion about it?

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December Book Club

Due to my recent health issues, this is the first time I’ve read my IRL book club’s book and attended the discussion since September. I’m glad I was able to go because not only do I love my book club, I look forward to December’s meeting all year.

We met in-person last Thursday evening to discuss December’s book, IN A HOLIDAZE by Christina Lauren. There were eleven of us who met together and only two people didn’t read the book. Here are some highlights of our discussion:

  • A couple of us really enjoyed the story, especially the romance part of it.
  • Most of the group thought it was fun but nothing to write home about. One of them didn’t think the big reveal was big enough. View Spoiler »
  • A few people really disliked the book. Interestingly, two of them don’t like the movie GROUNDHOG DAY either. The other person was just sick of implausible romances.
  • A couple of people wished there had been more GROUNDHOG DAY scenarios. I was okay with how that part happened. Although, I would’ve been okay with more as well.
  • Some of us liked the underlying message of seizing the day and taking life by the horns.
  • Most of us, if not all of us, loved that it’s set in Park City, Utah (about an hour from where we all live). This lead to a discussion about the authors. Most of us had no idea that Christina Hobbs (the Christina part of the duo) is local.
  • Some of us liked reading about the Christmas traditions Maelyn and her family/friends participate in each year. We liked that the story explored remembering why each tradition is important and not just going through the motions because that’s what’s always been done.

Even though IN A HOLIDAZE is mostly fluffy romance, we had a pretty good discussion. Next year, we want to find a Christmas murder mystery to read for the ones in the group that aren’t big romance fans. If you have any suggestions, let me know in the comments.

The rest of our book club was our annual Christmas party. For the party, we each bring a treat to share if we can. This year we had a wide variety–one of our member’s homemade shortbread cookies which are everyone’s favorites, peppermint Oreo ice cream pie, gingerbread cookies, apples with dip, and chips with homemade seven-layer bean dip. It was all really yummy.

We also have a book exchange. We each bring a wrapped book, one of our favorite reads from the year, and then we play a white elephant type swapping game using dice. Once each book is unwrapped, which took about 35 minutes for that to happen, we each roll the dice once more until ending on the last person who unwrapped a book. (If someone rolls “unwrap” during that last round, we let them roll again, steal someone’s book, or keep the one they have.)

For those interested in the dice game, here it is:

  • 2: Steal or stay the same
  • 3: Trade with someone wearing red
  • 4: Trade with the person on your right
  • 5: Pass once to the left
  • 6: Pass twice to the right
  • 7: Unwrap
  • 8: Pass twice to the left
  • 9: Pass once to the right
  • 10: Unwrap
  • 11: Trade with someone wearing green
  • 12: Steal or stay the same

We had quite a few awesome books up for grabs. I would’ve been happy with any of them. I brought A RIVER ENCHANTED by Rebecca Ross and I ended up with PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION by Emily Henry, which I’m very excited to read. The other books up for grabs were:

  • THE MEASURE by Nikki Erlick
  • RESCUE by Jennifer A. Nielsen
  • THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET by Catriona Ward
  • I MUST BETRAY YOU by Ruta Sepetys
  • THE STORIED LIFE OF AJ FIKRY by Gabrielle Zevin
  • CRAVE by Tracy Wolff
  • BETTER THAN THE MOVIES by Lynn Painter
  • THE PASSION OF DOLSSA by Julie Berry
  • THE DARK DESCENT OF ELIZABETH FRANKENSTEIN by Kiersten White

Next month, we’re reading MY GRANDMOTHER ASKED ME TO TELL YOU SHE’S SORRY by Frederik Backman. I’m excited to read another book by him since I adored ANXIOUS PEOPLE earlier this year.

Anyway, have you read IN A HOLIDAZE? If so, what do you think about my book club’s discussion about it?

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September Book Club

Due to moving in July, and having LASIK surgery and my kitty Dax crossing the rainbow bridge in August, this is the first time I’ve read my IRL book club’s book and attended the discussion since June. I’m glad I was able to go.

We met in-person last Wednesday evening to discuss September’s book, THE GOOD SISTER by Sally Hepworth. There were eight of us who met together and we all read the book. Here are some highlights of our discussion:

  • A few of us guessed the twist early on. Two of them thought it ruined the suspense and thrill of the story and didn’t enjoy the story as much after that.
    • Even though I also guessed the twist early, it didn’t ruin the suspense or thrill for me. Instead of anticipating this, I anticipated how the resolution came about (if there is one) or how the characters will react to the big reveal and how it will affect what they do next.
  • The rest of the group really enjoyed the book, didn’t see the twist coming, and were surprised all around by what happened.
  • All of us thought the characters were well-developed and round, including the secondary characters.
  • All of us loved the one sister–her personality and character, especially her growth arc. View Spoiler »
  • A few of us didn’t like the last chapter. We thought it was overkill. One person even suggested that it felt like the ending to Hitchcock’s PSYCHO.

Before I went to book club, I hemmed and hawed about going. I worried about sharing some of my views. I didn’t want people to discount my thoughts on Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) because of thinking I was being too sensitive. One person said she thought it didn’t perpetuate the stigma like I did, which is fine. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. And, after two others members who have first-hand experience working with mental illness and/or BPD validated my views, I think it helped with understanding where I was coming from more.

*steps on soapbox* I talked about this in my review, and I think it’s worth stating again. Hepworth diagnoses the one sister as narcissistic or possible BPD. Based on the character’s actions and thoughts, it’s clear, however, Hepworth didn’t really understand either mental illness or how they manifest in real life. She probably saw a list of criteria and decided they fit, or she read the criteria and wrote the character with her limited understanding. (This is why there’s a need for sensitivity readers and/or own voices authors.)

Even though Hepworth’s diagnosis isn’t definite (“possible”), it does perpetuate the stigma associated with BPD, an already very stigmatized disorder. People with BPD are often perceived as being violent. This comes from one of the possible diagnosis criteria of having, and maybe a hard time controlling, irrational anger. Some people present anger outward in the form of yelling, screaming, throwing things, etc. Others, like me, present anger inward by directing the emotion at ourselves. (I rarely present anger outward.) When people with BPD act on violent urges, it’s normally in the form of self-harm or suicidal ideation. Of course, some of the people who present anger outward may also be violent against others. BPD, though, usually isn’t the actual cause of that kind of violence. BPD’s often diagnosed with other disorders. The most common are mood, eating, and substance abuse disorders. The combined presentations of these disorders MAY create a perfect storm of having and acting on outward violent urges.

Having BPD simply means that our emotions are more extreme than the general population. The difference between BPD and Bipolar Disorder is the duration of the highs and lows. BPD’s are shorter (i.e., minutes, hours, possibly days) than Bipolar’s (i.e., days, weeks, possibly months). Regulating our emotions is much more difficult with the extremes, which is why we often come across as whiny, needy, petty, or having a thin skin. Learning very specific coping skills in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is crucial for our well-being. *steps off soapbox*

Needless to say, we had a very interesting discussion about mental illness, BPD, neurodivergence, and society’s role in how we perceive and treat those with mental illness. It was very affirming to receive validation instead of the “you’re too sensitive about this” reaction.

I wish I could report on everything we discussed. Due to the nature of a psychological thriller, however, I can’t report on all the details without spoiling you. Hopefully, I’ve done a good enough job to make this post interesting and still let you experience THE GOOD SISTER on your own if you want to read it.

Next month, we’re reading FEED by Mira Grant (Seanan McGuire). I’ve been anticipating this book ever since someone nominated it as a possible book for book club. I’ve heard mixed reviews, but they’ve been generally positive.

Anyway, have you read THE GOOD SISTER? If so, what do you think about my book club’s discussion about it?

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