RWL’s Comments (group member since Oct 25, 2013)

RWL’s comments from the Region of Waterloo Library group.

Thank you very much Christine and Heather - I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts with me! It's been a fun challenge to run an online book club. I'm really looking forward to getting things going again in the fall.

I've gotten some other messages that suggest a Classics book club might be a better direction to go in. Can you give me an idea of what kinds of classics you'd want to read? Or even a few examples of your favorites? 'Classics' is pretty wide territory and I want to get a sense of what everyone likes. Also, do you have a preference for book length? Some classics are amazing, but are also 1000 pages which might not be practical for everyone.

Hello,

I would like to thank everyone for their participation in the online book club over the last year. We have decided to take a break after the May discussion for the summer and relaunch with a new focus and purpose in the fall. Over the summer we encourage you to visit www.oboc.ca and participate in the One Book, One Community program in Waterloo Region.

It is our hope to redesign the book club to have a more interesting and clearer focus.

Two new directions we are considering for the book club are:

Classics: This version of the book club would review books from the literary canon. It would likely focus on English classics but would also touch on important other works from other countries throughout history. We would only read classics.

Books to Movies: This version of the book club would focus on titles that have been made into movies. The group would read the book and watch the movie. Then we would discuss and compare them.

Please let me know if you have a preference for one book club direction over the other. Or if you don't think either is a great idea, please let me know.

If you have any suggestions, ideas or recommendations feel free to email me directly at rwager@regionofwaterloo.ca. I will be taking into consideration your thoughts and feelings.

Thank you very much for participating in our online book club. We look forward to seeing you in the fall!

Rebecca

Thanks for your thoughts Christine. I really appreciate you taking the time to give me feedback on the books.

Do you like one of the narrators better than the other? Day and June definitely have very different perspectives on life in the Republic.

Here are a couple of links that might be helpful:

Author Marie Lu's website http://marielu.org/books.html

Legend Wiki http://legendmarielu.wikia.com/wiki/L...

The representation of Dystopian societies has been a popular theme in Young Adult and Adult literature over the last few years. Why? What does this say about our society? What do you think the impact is of such a negative view of the future?

Do you think that the Republic in Legend is an accurate representation of a totalitarian society? Does it provide insight into the lives of people who currently live in such societies?

What would Legend have been like if only Day or June narrated the book? Do you like this approach to narration?

If you had to pick a character other than Day or June to narrate Legend, who would it be and why?

The events of Legend take place over a hundred years in the future. What do you imagine the United States (or Canada) will be like a century from now? Do you think it could resemble the fractured country in Legend?

How did you like this book? What was your first reaction after reading it?

Thank you very much everyone for your thoughtful replies and responses to the book.

I have a feeling this might not have been the best book choice. For that reason, I think that I will start the discussion for the next title now. Everyone is still welcome to post to this board, but for those of you who prefer the option, you can skip ahead.

I'm glad the list sounds appealing!

Here are the books that I would like to suggest we read for the remainder of the year. Please let me know your thoughts.

May: Legend by Marie Lu

June:To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee (the sequel is being released in July)

July: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children or the the sequel Hollow City (for those who have read the Miss Peregrine's)

August: Little Women and Behind a Mask by Louisa May Alcott (classics - I thought we could compare the well-known classic with a book that Alcott secretly published under a pseudonym)

September: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

October: The Wild Ass's Skin Honore de Balzac (classic)

November: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

December: Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell

The novel is rich with detailed descriptions of the ocean, the sky, and the wild landscape of Janus Rock. Is there a particular passage or scene that stood out to you? What role does the natural world play in Tom and Isabel’s life?

Christine wrote: "I read the book last year and it was one of my favourites. I'm attempting to re-read it again for the discussions here, but I'm finding it difficult now that I know how the story plays out. I find ..."

That's interesting... it sounds like two very different reading experiences. Do you often find rereading challenging because the foresight makes you second guess the characters? Or is there something about the characters in this book that enhances that experience?

Discuss the theme of opposites in The Light Between Oceans—darkness and light; safety and danger; land and water; truth and lies. How do these opposing forces shape your reading?

What is your first reaction to the The Light Between Oceans? How did it make you feel?

The library's online book club book for April is The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman. You can place a hold on the book here: http://olco.canlib.ca/client/en_US/rw...

I will list the books for the next few months early next week.

What do the novel's three women-Brigid O'Shaughnessy, Effie Perine, and Iva Archer-have in common? How different are their personalities and motivations?

Why might Hammett avoid describing any of the novel's murders in detail?