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| Name : | Karen H. |
My Reviews
The jumping around in time takes some getting used to, but the author does a good job of making it as easy as possible to follow along. The last quarter of the book really keeps you reading. It is a interesting love story, and an I enjoyed piecing together the puzzle as I read. I thought it was interesting how their knowledge of each other's future helps them to be more caring when they are together. Clare patiently waits as Henry matures into the man she knew as a child (he is a bit of a hellraiser when they meet in the present), and Henry treats the young Clare with abslute respect because he loves the woman she would become and doesn't want to mess her up.
I expected a dry accounting of why or how to eat locally but it was much more interesting than that. This book stimulated a good discussion in our group. Issues raised in the book include: the environment, global economy, effects of industrialization and imperialism, the impact or lack of impact one person can have, modern "disconnectedness" with each other and the earth, and the role that food has to play in it all.
I loved this book. It was my first time reading it, though most of our group had read it before. Even for those reading it a second time there was plenty to discuss.
I think we all liked this book and there was so much to talk about. I would definitely recommend it.
This book deserves the acclaim it has received. The descriptive writing is fantastic. The characters are well-developed. It has plenty of material for discussion. I liked it a lot. It was uplifting without being syrupy.
Athough our group is a mix of Ptorestent and Catholic backgrounds, we all come from a common western, Christian perspective. So we had enough in common with each other and the author's point of view that this book stimulated some meaningful discussion. For groups with less in common religiously, or for groups who wish to avoid overtly religious content, this book may not be a great choice.
Although the content was better than the writing quality (IMO), I would read it again - the spiritual message was one that bears repeating in my life!
This book was easy for us to relate to since we live within a hundred miles of so of Postville, though not in such a small town. The book was an interesting read. The author did a good job being fair to all perspectives. Some themes were religion and cultural identity, and ethno-centrism. I learned alot about Hasidic Jews and also about Midwestern culture from the perspective of an outsider. Fun to read in light of the big imigration bust at the Agriprocessor plant in 2007 (not exactly sure of the date, but it was BIG bust). I believe the guy who runs the plant in the book is on trial now...
I just loved this book. The characters Dickens creates are so fascinating. It stimulated some good discussion in our group too. It is a LONG book though. We spread it out over 2+ months. If your group likes classics and isn't put off by the length, it is definitely a good choice.
Every so often, our bookclub reads a book that is just an enjoyable change of pace. This was one of those books. It was easy to read, interesting to learn about how people lived then, and fun to reread something many of us had read in our childhood, now with a new perspective.
Little Women is worth reading. The characters and how they grow and change keep you reading. It stimulated a decent amount of discussion as well.
This was probably one of our bookclub's favorites so far. The language style takes getting used to, we all agreed, but it is SO worth it to get past that first chapter or so of adjusting. The characters are fanastic. I found myself laughing and smiling to myself many times. One of my favorite books ever.
This was one horrible book. The characters are one-dimensional, the plot is implausible, the writing autrocious. I can't think of one positive thing to say about it, except that it was short.
No one in our group cared much for this book. Among those who had seen the movie, the general consensus was that the movie was better. None of us really liked Julie. The writing was pretty good, though sometimes confusing. It did feel like a long blog entry, which is essentially what it is. Just not enough of anything tying it all together to keep my interest.
Pros:
-an inspiring story of what one person can accomplish. This is a man who never loses focus on his goal to build schools for children in Afghanistan.
-probably will prompt good discussion
Cons:
- the writing is not great
- it feels a little like a very long promotional brochure at times (I believe it actually WAS used as part of a fundraising effort.) Because of that, perhaps, I don't feel you get a very balanced view of the main character.
- it runs on much too long. A lot of superfluous information.
ETA - turns out later there was a big scandal about this book and the author, that much was exaggerated or embellished, and that charity funds were misused.
I'm glad I read it. I learned a lot about the events of the Haulocost in France, though it put me in a dark mood for a while. The plot held together well, her themes were woven throughout. The writing style was ok. I felt it was lacking in some character development and some of the desciptions could've been better. For example, "sad" was used to describe more than one of the memorials the main character visited. Not a light read. If your members don't mind a heart-breaking story, there could be much to discuss.
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