I enjoyed the different "voices" telling the story. A serious subject approached in a way that made you think yet at the same time had moments that made you laugh.

I liked the book, particularly the author's dry sense of humor. However, I can not heartily recommend the book. Many members in the book club, including myself, complained about the vocabulary and the need to have a dictionary on hand while reading. Other members decided to skip the many flights into philosophy taken by the author, a philosophy professor. Other complaints stemmed from the abrupt and disappointing end to the book. Overall, probably not the best choice for a book club to read.

A Gothic novel with the requisite gloomy house occupied by secretive inhabitants. I would use the word "suspenseful" to describe the book. All aspects tie together for an unexpected end to the tale. I like most everything about the book except the main character Margaret. I found her needy, and she really just needed to accept some facets of life and move on.

A unique heroine (eleven year old Flavia) owning her surroundings (an English village shortly after WWII). I enjoyed the book in part because nothing about it was the same-old, same-old for me. The author did a good job immersing me into the setting. I enjoyed going along for the ride with Flavia.

Emily and Jess are mismatched siblings who love and care for each other despite their different outlooks on love and life. The routes their lives take over the course of two years show that life is unpredictable despite the best of intentions. The surrounding characters are fully realized and add depth to the story. However, sometimes the change in focus from one of the main characters to a secondary character pulled me away from the story rather than deeper into it.

I liked the first part least, but found it fun once Alice and Charlie meet. Sometimes the juxtaposition between the fictional Alice and Charlie and President George and Laura Bush caused discomfort. I found that at times it added to the book and other times I felt uncomfortable with the author's fictitious license. Overall though I liked the book.

The Sugar Queen falls outside the norm with a touch of the unexpected sprinkled liberally throughout the pages. I liked everything about it - after an initial uncertainty. The book reads quickly and though it touches on serious issues definitely falls into the "fun, optimistic, romantic" categories for me.

Loved it! Great for book clubs with myriad avenues for discussion. The book keeps its upbeat tone despite undercurrents that touch on serious issues.

I looked for the descriptive word "unusual" or at least something that indicated "a step away from the usual" and didn't find anything close to expressing my impression of the book. Liked it, as did all who read it, some more than others, of course. The author weaves magic throughout the story, such as an apple tree with decided opinions. As I indicated above: a step away from the usual.

I thought it a fun read even though much of the subject matter touched on serious issues. The serious issues can serve as excellent discussion topics. My only reservations stem from the fact that certain storylines seemed just thrown in and then either quickly resolved (arsonist) or ultimately dropped (young daughter's unsuitable first crush).

I read this book soon after finishing The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. I thoroughly enjoy Flavia's adventures - solving crimes in her small part of the English countryside. I read constantly and it's always a pleasure to find something a step away from the usual - and 11-year-old Flavia is that. Looking forward to the next book in the series (already pre-ordered).

I found the book uninteresting. At first, the book introduced too many characters to sort through. I found myself looking back through the pages to remember a character. Once sorted through, the behaviors seemed unrealistic to the point that it just became silly. Let's see ... an attempted murder, a family member shot ... hmm, let's sit down and enjoy our Thanksgiving leftovers with the officers on the scene. REALLY!?!

I didn't like the book, but it does open up many avenues for discussion. One complaint from just about all in the book club: no one could quite remember the various characters - one introduced in each of the 12 chapters. The author introduced so many issues through her characters that after a while it just seemed that she was trying to throw anything possible into the mix. Marnie - the first character - lost her first husband at a young age. Her second husband cheated - serially - on her. She is now involved with a younger man. Her oldest daughter is dealing with a high risk pregnancy due to genetic issues. Her younger daughter is an unmarried pregnant teen with the baby daddy a different race with a jail term (juvenile offender - drugs, maybe - don't remember). She's also a cancer survivor. And that's just the first character. And so it goes ... Lots to discuss, but overall too much.

I like Sherlock Holmes as a character and know just enough about him to enjoy books like this one, without worrying about any fictional liberties taken with his author Arthur Conan Doyle. Chapters alternate between two time periods (1900 and present day) and two mysteries. The link involves a missing diary of Arthur Conan Doyle. I think book club members would enjoy the book. Discussion topics - looking beyond the engaging concurrent mysteries - should not be a problem with some forethought.

I wanted to read the book because of its many positive reviews. However, no way could I have guessed that I would like it as much as I did. Nonfiction tends to occupy a lower spot on my must-read list - and a book about cells (or so I thought) is not a typical choice. The book is about so much more than the story of the first "immortal cells" though. I learned a lot about HeLa (the cells), of course, but I felt like the author helped me empathize with the family and their travails (losing Henrietta at such a young age and trying to understand all the scientists eventually tossed their way). Highly recommend with great book club potential. (My daughter - a fantasy, science fiction reader - also liked this book, which says a lot. She usually steers clear of nonfiction.)

Awful. A one star rating makes the book seem better than it is.

A poor, poor attempt to capture some of the Stephanie Plum magic that's fading. Don't waste your money or your time. Evanovich should be embarrassed!

I liked it, just not as much as I thought I would. So many reviews mention the book's humor, yet the underlying sadness seems equally as noteworthy to me. I wasn't expecting it - and it somewhat colored my initial reactions to the book. The two main characters mourn the death of their young son and find no refuge in their marriage. Many of the other characters are lonely and want more from their lives than they get. Also, on occasion the whimsy found in the plot and the quirkiness of characters seems forced. One thing I particularly enjoyed, though, was all the history of the Tower of London woven into the book. All that said, the author ties everything together nicely at the end and remedies much of the pervading sadness. Many topics for discussion - not least, the agony of unexpectedly losing a child and the way people cope with that loss.

I enjoyed the (male) author narrating events (first person) from the viewpoint of a middle-age(ish) woman looking back on events that happened when she was 13. Portis carries it off well. Knowing the story kept me from a sitting-on-the-edge-of-my-seat-feeling that I think might have been there if I had been reading without foreknowledge of events. Mattie Ross is an extremely strong young female character - one of the best I've read. Her sense of honor, perserverance, and "grit" open myriad avenues of discussion. The humor in the book slides in during her account of things as she sees them, though she doesn't realize the humor herself. (Also a great choice for a mother-daughter book club meeting.)

I liked the book. Nonfiction is not my first choice in reading material, but I'm glad I read this. Certainly I learned a lot and the book can definitely generate discussion topics. Still I didn't find it an edge-of-your-seat, not-to-be-missed read.

Deservedly considered a classic! I don't read science fiction often - but loved this despite the genre - lol. Plenty of discussion topics.

Compilation of "essays" from The New Yorker magazine - some outdated. Some of the selections were interesting, but overall I'm not a fan of Gladwell's approach. He wanted you to reach his conclusions; his "research" seems biased toward his POV. In addition, his writing meanders until at some point you want to scream "focus." I do think that I would have enjoyed reading his articles in a magazine (as part of a whole "something else") more than I did in a book.

I liked the book more than I expected: easy to read with prose more like poetry or maybe poetry more like prose. Book club members will either decidely like or dislike this book, which might make for good discussion in and of itself. Overall I think it's not the best choice for book clubs, rather more suited to picking up on your own if it interests you.

I like the book - no more, no less. An easy read that ends on a positive note - and I learned something in the process.

First, let me say that the necessity of reading Shanghai Girls before Dreams of Joy can't be underestimated. Those in the book club who had read Shanghai Girls picked up the storyline quickly; those who hadn't felt lost and ended up stopping Dreams of Joy in favor of going back and reading Shanghai Girls first.

As for Dreams of Joy, I liked the book. I had been displeased with the to-be-continued ending of Shanghai Girls, but Dreams of Joy ties up all the loose ends nicely. While Shanghai Girls concentrates on the bond between sisters and assimilation into life in America, Dreams of Joy looks closely at the love of a mother for her child. Unhappy, confused Joy runs away to the People's Republic of China. Believing wholeheartedly in the communist propaganda, Joy finds herself in a virilocal marriage in a commune in the country. Pearl follows Joy to China and never gives up hope of reconciliation and rescue. The story is told in two voices: Pearl and Joy.

Hennie (age 86) and Nit (age 17) become unlikely friends after Nit and her new husband move to the mining town Middle Swan, CO. in the midst of the depression. Prayers for Sale takes place over the course of a year - more or less. Hennie helps the young bride adjust to life in the mining town while making decisions about her own life. So many topics for discussion that book clubs may talk all night. Prayers for Sale may have been my first book by this author, but it won't be my last.

Family saga. Mystery. The Forgotten Garden takes time to read: clues scattered from one generation to the next from 1900-2005. Most in the book club liked the book and found topics to discuss.

Everyone in the book club enjoyed this book, which doesn't happen all that often. The discussion never dragged, ranging from the Salem witch trials to the modern day who-done-it.

I liked the book. As for book clubs, State of Wonder provides discussion topics aplenty.

I liked the book ... at least, I did once Vinnie (Mrs. Tom Thumb) meets P.T. Barnum. Once P.T. Barnum enters Vinnie's life, my interest in the book picked up. I find it fair to say that Barnum steals the show, though he spends most of his time behind the scenes. Vinnie leads an interesting life. The author manages to portray a vibrant "woman in miniature" who surmounts obstacles through sheer force of will and intelligence.

I like the book. A Puritan minister's daughter narrates the tale and so places an emphasis on the religious views of her time. Caleb weaves in and out of the narrative. I learned much about a woman's role in the 1600s and am glad not to be living in that time period.

The book generated discussion enough for me to give it a 'thumbs up' recommendation. However, I can't say I liked the book. Actually, I can't say any of the club members felt enthusiastic about the book. Most would probably rate it either 2 or 3 stars. The unexpected death of a child fractures a marriage. The husband moves on to an unlikely partner, which seems to be the point of the author: who can predict love? My problem stems from the simple fact that I don't buy into Macon and the dog trainer as a couple. If you're looking for an Anne Tyler book, I'd recommend Saint Maybe over this one.

Plenty for book clubs to discuss. I imagine that members will be divided as to whether or not they like the book. As for me, I liked the parts of the book that revolve around 9-year-old Oskar and pretty much hated the parts that dealt with his grandparents. Those parts can best be described as remarkably odd and, in my opinion, a waste of my reading time.

Everyone in the book club seemed to like the book though most of us had not quite finished it: so, interesting, even enjoyable, but not riveting - though all of us planned to finish it. I learned so much about Australia. Discussion topics aplenty.

11/22/63 kept my interest. However, I do think the author King could have cut 250-350 pages and the book would have been just as good, if not better. I see the length of the book - 850 pages - as a potential problem for a book club. Discussion within our group averaged out as "okay" - hard to pinpoint discussion topics with so many from which to choose. Looking back I think we probably missed out on more than one point which could have made our discussion livelier. Everyone liked the book though.

I enjoyed the book and plan to read the next one The President's Vampire. Still, I don't think it would make a great book club selection - not enough to discuss. Really, any selection from the horror genre might be an iffy choice; I can't see many in my book club wanting to read a horror selection ... vampires, zombies, etc. Great fun to read on your own, though.

A librarian highly recommended this book to me and the writing really is good: the plot ... plot? ... not so much. Plenty to discuss but I bet that a good bit of the discussion revolves around how many club members find the book depressing ... assuming they finished it.

I am officially hooked on the trilogy. I will probably finish all three books within the span of one week.

Good book ... but leaves pieces of the storyline unresolved. The author must plan to write a sequel/series with the Graveminder as first book. I particularly liked the unexpected twists/turns to the story and also the two main characters: the Graveminder and the Undertaker. The "other world" remains unconvincing as yet and one of the reasons that I think more books will follow this one. An easy read and one with discussion potential.

Highly recommend for book clubs. I don't think discussion would - really, even could - lag.

My rating falls slightly below 3 stars really. I can't say I liked the book, but I plan to read the next two books in the trilogy. Obviously this one caught my interest enough to continue.

Beautifully worded, though unconvincing at times. It sometimes feels as though the author has two separate tales to tell and intersperses them with each other. Book clubs can find much to discuss as the author does not tie up loose ends for the reader.

Solid romantic suspense. Addictive to read and fun to discuss - no more, no less.

Good book for club discussions: engages the reader and opens many avenues for discussion. That said, book clubs should note that the book has an underlying sadness that the reader can't escape, any more than the characters can escape the slowing of the earth's rotation. In a way Age of Miracles reminds me of The Diary of Anne Frank: a young girl comes of age during a time beset with trouble. (My rating actually falls somewhere around 3.5 stars and probably should be higher. I like happier books though so the rating accurately reflects my feelings.)

I liked the premise more than I liked the actual book. I ended up feeling that the author's beliefs inhabited the narration in much the way "A" inhabited bodies. Worthy beliefs - maybe. Still, it got to be a bit old and eventually a source of snark with club members. "Hey ... has A inhabited someone anorexic yet? Let's see ... we've had the illegal immigrant ... and the drug addict ... and the suicidal girl ... lesbian ... gay ... transgender ... evangelical Christian ... obese ... oh, he missed anorexic." And so it goes. Liked the romance but A's unconvincing love at first sight nagged at me.

Club members brought up the YA classification - mature teens, yes, but felt the book inappropriate for the middle school set.

Not your typical vampire story, and therein lies its strength (or its weakness depending on how you feel about vampire novels.) I liked it and can easily recommend it for book clubs. I read it within a couple days: it holds your attention and makes for an easy read, Clubs can find enough topics for discussion. A good choice for the month of October - serve red wine at the meeting and enjoy.

Good book: simple plot made fun with the bonus of a feel-good ending. I particularly liked the characters (all quirky in their own way) and their respect for each other.

A great choice for book club: a quick read that moves from funny to sad and then back in the blink of an eye. I think that it holds myriad topics for discussion, not the least of which is balancing love of self with love of family.

My descriptors:

Confusing: I did not quite get the significance of the wolves among other things that I could tell should have deep meaning for me.

Gloomy: Well, no one is particularly happy - no one.

Unconvincing: I never believed in the characters or quite grasped the reasoning behind the actions. I would pause a moment and think: Why would you do this? and could come up with no logical reason.

Lovely writing.

Truthfully, the characters leave Paris near the start of the novel and then abandon the floating bookshop mid-book. So, the title actually doesn't reflect the story.

To enjoy the book you have to suspend belief: the main character seals a room in his house for twenty years with a letter from his ex-lover in it. He opens the letter - at this years-later time only to find out that she hadn't just abandoned him (devoting all her attention to her husband - yes, she's married - the men share her) but for other reasons. He goes on a quest to overcome his guilt at not reading her letter earlier.

The writing is lovely (if somewhat obvious in its attempts to enlighten the reader and impart its deeper meaning) as is the depiction of the French countryside.

Bottom line: I was bored.

Fun and informative (wine making) at the same time