Not a classic for sure, but Coben is an excellent writer that keeps the reader engaged and constantly guessing.

Very, very good but definitely not a classic like the Kite Runner. Hosseini went a little too far with the political stories and characters with this book that it was difficult to follow. In addition, I thought the parallel stories were interesting but were not needed in separate books/parts. It did not enhance the book and only created additional confusion. With that said, I thought the stories themselves were compelling, kept me interested and got me to think a lot about sacrifices for those you love. Definitely recommend but please, please read the Kite Runner before or after to compare and contrast.

Too bad they have to go and make a movie about it because it just won't/can't be as good as the book. No way to convey the emotion and the human connections in 2 hours.

But this was by far one of the best books I've every read. So many opportunities to discuss the struggles of the various characters but also the geo-political struggles in Afganistan during the early wars. Highly recommend this book!!!

Not a classic but great just the same. The characters are easy to love and hate, even the minor ones, but I won't say which is which. Sara Gruen does brings you into circus life without trying to hard; it's so believable that you can picture as if you were there. The many "love stories" are realistic but my only fault almost too predictable. If you read or chose this book, you and your book club will not be disappointed. The story flows but has enough discussion opportunity that it is a nice balance. I highly recommend this book; it's well worth the ratings. If I could, I would have rated it 4.5 stars; not perfect but excellent all the same!

I'm a big Greg Iles fan but this one was a little too much of a far fetched idea for me and didn't have as much intensity or suspense that is typical with his books. But still an overall good read!

This is definitely NOT a Patterson! The entire story is so unbelievable it is difficult to finish the book. Don't bother for pleasure or book club; very disappointing.

If you are a non believer in the Almighty, this may not be the book for you. In order to enjoy this book, which is very good, you will need to suspend belief (or non belief in this case). This book is a great story and is well told by the author but is intertwined with miracles and explanations of how and why God may do the things he does or doesn't. It is not all about Him, it is more about the story of an 11 year old struggling in the 60's after a terrible tragedy occurred in his family. I am not a believer and was able to thoroughly enjoy the writing style, the poetry (Go Sunny Sundown), which is interspersed throughout the book, and the love and trust that is so apparent in this family. In our discussions about the book, it came up that this is a book of fiction and with any book of fiction you need to let go and absorb the story for what it is...An analogy? Many of us thoroughly enjoy a good ghost story (Stephen King, best selling author?) but we don't usually question the events or ghosts in those novels. These are enjoyed for the story not whether we belief or not in Ghosts.
With all that said you will thoroughly enjoy this story if you can suspend non-belief and read it for what it is; a story of love and commitment to family and the comfort that can be found within a family unit in the most difficult of times.
I recommend this book but you've been advised...So enjoy if you decide to take the challenge.

Let me start off by saying don't let the Young Adult classification fool you. This book will challenge and reward adults of all ages, both emotionally and intellectually! The author tells a haunting story, different than any other I've heard or read, about the rise and fall of Nazi Germany. The struggle of the Jews and Germans was eye opening to say the least. The author was able to make the characters come alive as if I was listening to them tell their stories. That is STORY TELLING at it's best!! As for the narrator, Death, don't let this scare you or turn you away from the book. This is a clever way to tell such a horrific story of one of the worst wars EVER. Death's insight to the emotions of the dying is believable and so is his struggle with the human race. His biggest struggle is the ugly and beauty of humans; quite simple how we can love each other so deeply and completely and in the next breath take lives so brutally and without regard. With all the good in the book there is only a few disappointments which can be easily overlooked because of the fabulous story telling and characters; they are: 1.) There is so much 'foreshadowing' that it can at times become distracting. I realize later in the book this is likely to keep young adults reading a difficult topic. You will need a little patience and not worry that all will not resolve itself, and 2.) I wished Zusak wrote a couple more chapters to bring a little more resolution and closure to the outcome of Liesel and Max. I fell so much in love with them and their story just ended after spending such an intimate time with them through tragedy and love. But overall this is one of the best books I've ever read and will provide a lot of discussion opportunity for any book club and classroom. EXCELLENT!!

Takes a little to get into the book as you travel through the discovery of the garden, but then the fun starts. The book got me so engrossed in the mystery and symbolism that I have decided to take on reading and studying Dante's Divine Comedy.
Definitely recommend the book and would have lots to discuss at any book club.

The book makes you laugh, makes you cry and makes you think about what's really important in life. You will fall in love with June as she finally grows up through the unfortunate loss of "an acquaintance" in a horrible accident where she was the driver. Lots to discuss for book clubs, especially the big question - Would you do what June did and what on the list would you not be able to do or what would be most difficult for you to overcome to complete the list? A great way to get to know people in your book club!

This short in duration but long on emotion will not disappoint any reader. If you always want your books to turn into movies - this one has; although the Producers want you to believe something different, Brad Pitt's new movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons" looks like a dead ringer for this book based on the trailers I've seen.

Besides that this is a tragic story of a baby born old and as he "ages" his external body turns younger. Max, the narrator, takes you through the challenges of society acceptance, his love life and ultimately getting old in a youngsters body. Really great story; I could not put it down.

Any time you pick a book be sure you understand the genre...Although Larson tells a true story in a manner that appears to be fiction (good story telling)it was still based on actual events. So if you expect the two stories that were parallel events at the Chicago's Worlds Fair you will be sadly disappointed.

As with others, our book club had mixed reviews - mostly bad, but again I think it is because most are so accustomed to fiction reading that they forget real life doesn't work that way. The stories independently are amazing stories of American History. Folks say the architectural piece of the book was boring, but think about what they accomplished in a short amount of time in the conditions that existed in Chicago in the 1850's. Simply amazing!

Of course with the onslaught of people coming into the city, it was a perfect "hunting" ground for America's first serial killer.

Excellent book but level set you reading mind before taking this on. Read it for what it is - American History.

How many of you would forgive, without hesitation, the rapist of your mother who turns out to be your father; in minutes no less?! Maybe those who loved this book - but not me. I really thought this book had a lot of potential while the kids were finding out just who their parents were and what really happened in their relationship; it fell apart so quickly, became so unbelievable and ended horribly! I can not recommend this book to anyone, Christian or otherwise. AUTHORS, if you are out there, please don't try to convert readers to Christianity through your writing by trying to disguise it in a novel!

A fun, quick read that is truly enjoyable. I loved the first book so much I had to immediately go by the second in the series New Moon.

Remember, it's fiction, about Vampires, so read it as fiction. If you do, you will be so captivated by the story you will not be able to put it down. Just pure fun reading!

I had high expectations for this award winning first novel; it had an intriguing story line but the author did not come through for me. My main issue...the author is a women who wrote from the perspective of a male detective and I could never buy it! I don't know why this was necessary when the second character, the main characters female partner played a large and much more believable part in the story. Finally, I was able to figure out the "who dunnit" long before I should have and that was disappointing. As a side note, I do this a lot so maybe this shouldn't be considered but it seemed too obvious for even for me. Caution those who may be considering it for a book club book because it may be a let down, but worth a try for a personal read.

From the author of the Book Thief, another fun, entertaining but very different book. Although a young adult book, it is rewarding for those of all ages and reminds us that we all have an important role in life; we have to deliver difficult messages that will challenge our hearts and our heads but these are equally as important as the messages we have to deliver that are easy and positive. Lots to discuss - specifically about the messages - why those were chosen and does the group believe that Ed delivered the messages correctly. My only downside to the novel is that I did not feel that he completed ALL the tasks (messages) at hand in a manner that satisfied me as a reader. On a few, I was left with a feeling of needing and wanting more. This will make more sense once you read the book - I can't give you more without giving away the book. An enjoyable read.

Let's start out by reminding everyone this is NON-FICTION but you would not every believe it by the smooth and creative writing style of the author. It reads like a crime novel because the author is clearly a great story teller. I think the most creative thing the author did was to develop characters, which there are many, in the beginning of the book. This is another reason it's a little slow because Berendt also wants you to fall in love with Savannah, just like he did, so he painstakingly describes the beauty of the architecture and landscape of this hidden city in the South. As for the characters, don't feel like you have to remember every single one for a book club review. There are a couple of handfuls that are important and they (Jim, Danny, Joe, Chablis, Adlers, Lawton, Seiler, Minerva)come up so often and are so colorful you won't be able to forget them. The others (Serena, Diggers, Glover, UGA iv and v) are in the novel to help build the weird and extreme events that were going on during the 8 years Berendt spent in Savannah.

With a non-fiction book club event it's hard, other than discussing the writing style, to talk about plot/story line, characters, etc. because they are what they are. So We decided to view the movie (of the same title), directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Kevin Spacey (Williams), John Cusack (Berendt) and Lady Chablis (played herself) to compare how the book was different from the movie. It was a lot of fun and different than anything we ever did. It's a 2.5 hour movie so allow enough time and, if people hate talking through movies, I wouldn't recommend this method because we did a lot talking.

Overall a very well written book with lots of enjoyment - you start asking yourself can this really happen in one town? Be patient in the start and, if you are, you will be rewarded.

The author writes beautifully and I think it was well written but the story is unbelievable and boring. I could not really understand or love ANY of the characters, certainly not the main characters. The drugs in the story are excessive and takes away from a storyline; the author should have spent more time helping us understand the psyche of the girls than the drugs of choice: coke, marijuana, LSD, mushrooms, and alcohol. There were so many alternative story lines that would have made for more interest and would capture the readers.

For all those who have read this is a good book for young adults - I don't think so. Just because it's written about privileged high schoolers does not mean it tells the right message (break the rules, have sex, do drugs, hurt your friends, and lack the confidence to protect against manipulators??) for those at that age. Read it yourself before you decide to give it to your teen - I have a 14 and 17 year old and would not recommend they read it. The positives, author has a beautiful imagery and a smooth writing style that makes the book pass quickly. These were the sentiments of EVERYONE in our book club - the avg rating 5-6 out of 10; most did NOT like it.