The Help

3.66 Stars

"This is the best pie I ever had."  
"We are just two people.  Not that much separates us.  Not nearly as much as I thought."

"The Help" are good enough to raise the white woman's children that they work for, yet can't sit down at the dinner table with the family they work for.  And, God forbid they think about using the restroom in the home that they clean and cook for.  The Help takes place in the 1960s and is written from the viewpoints of several maids in the south and a woman (Skeeter).  A story of love, justice, injustice, and the lives of a variety of women in the south as the Civil Rights Movement is in its boom.


Everyone in the Group loved this book--although Elizabeth really would have preferred to not lug the hard copy around the country.  A small price to pay for a great read.

Paradise--Judith McNaught

2.2 Stars


A good summer book....although totally predictable.  "I wouldn't tell anyone I read it but....it kept my attention," said one member.  We all thought this was a fun summer romance that packed in the plot.  We found some things to discuss around the time era of the late 1980s and the compelling characters.  Not sure if we are getting old, "But... of course the romance was great--they only knew each other for 6 days--it had to still be fun."  Although not high in ratings, for what we were reading, it was a fun light book.

The Master Butchers Singing Club--Louise Erdich

Monday, June 28 2010

____ Stars

Fidelis, a master butcher from Germany moves to North Dakota after fighting in World War One.  His life becomes inexplicably entwined with Delphine's--a woman born and raised by a drunk on the plains. 

The Master Butcher's Singing Club had mixed reviews from our group--although everyone agreed it would have been better if it was half the length.  The character development that took up the first third of the book made it a slow read for everyone to get into.   The themes of family, love, and war and all of the events in the book made for good discussion, although there was much confusion about why different events were included in the novel.  We look forward to seeing what the play adaptation has to offer.

At the Guthrie

review and discussion questions

The Book Thief--Markus Zusak

3.71 STARS

Narrated by Death, this touching story of humans and all they are capable of was loved by most members.  Through conversation, even our most hesitant readers were able to see the beauty of Zusak's story and usage of words.

Liesel Meminger is a stealer of books.  Set in Nazi Germany, Liesel sees the value of words as she and her foster family hide a Jew in their basement.  This award winning book is not an easy or fast read, but one we all enjoyed talking about.

Markus Zusak--Book Thief

FLIGHT--Sherman Alexie

2.7 Stars
 

Our first real meeting was off with a start! It was great to see everyone--and have an intelligent conversation about our book choice. Nothing can compete with an intelligent group of women talking about books and life.


Sherman Alexie's Flight brought out some thoughtful conversations on current issues of youth, foster care, Native American History, and violence.


Although the book was not loved by all, everyone agreed that they thought it was interesting, and thought provoking.