You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

The challenge for August has 4 options:
1. Read a book about a natural disaster (volcano, earthquake, wildfire, tornado, etc,) Must be natural and not caused by human error, war, etc. (eg - Titanic disaster was caused by human error.)
2. Set in New Zealand.
3. Set in Montana, USA. (Closest town to Yellowstone National Park is in Montana.)
4, Set in Alberta, Canada.

Reporting:

List your WoF name, link to the book you read and tell us which task you chose and how your selection fit the book. Also give us a small blurb of what you thought about the book

WoF Grainne
What Stands in a Storm: Three Days in the Worst Superstorm to Hit the South's Tornado Alley
1. Read a book about a natural disaster: tornado

It is one of the most sympathetic and compassionate books that I have read on natural disasters about tornadoes. The author shows us how connected we all are to each other and to nature. We rely on nature to build our houses and to feed us, but there's a dangerous side to nature, too. It can be cruel. The one thing that impressed me the most was the resilience of the people and their ability to listen to nature and to connect with it so they could better predict when a storm was coming in the future. They helped themselves to rebuild their lives confidently.

Grainne wrote: "WoF Grainne
What Stands in A Storm
1. Read a book about a natural disaster: tornado

It is one of the most sympathetic and compassionate books that I have read on natural disasters about tornadoe..."

Compelling review Grainne. I've added it to my stack!

Grainne wrote: "WoF Grainne
What Stands in A Storm
1. Read a book about a natural disaster: tornado

It is one of the most sympathetic and compassionate books that I have read on natural disasters about tornadoe..."

What Stands in a Storm: Three Days in the Worst Superstorm to Hit the South's Tornado Alley. Here is the link.

Almeta wrote: "Grainne wrote: "WoF Grainne
What Stands in A Storm
1. Read a book about a natural disaster: tornado

It is one of the most sympathetic and compassionate books that I have read on natural disaster..."

I also added it to my TBR!

Janice wrote: "Grainne wrote: "WoF Grainne
What Stands in A Storm
1. Read a book about a natural disaster: tornado

It is one of the most sympathetic and compassionate books that I have read on natural disaster..."

Yes, that's the one.

WoF: Kristie

I read Eruption. It fits the first task as the book focuses on a volcanic eruption in Hawaii.

I didn't love this one. I gave it just barely three stars. There were a couple parts that didn't make sense and some scenes that were repetitive. Overall, I thought it was ok and interesting enough, but I think it would have been much better as a movie. I'm sure some of the kinks would have been worked out during the filming.

Wof name - Amanda(Lily)

3. Set in Montana, USA.

I read A Christmas Candy Killing, which is set in a small town in Montana.

I really enjoyed the book. It was a solid cozy mystery, one of my favorite genres. The main character was really likeable and there is enough interesting interaction between her and other characters to lead on to other books. I was even able to figure out who the killer was before the main character did!

WoF Marnie

I read Life As We Knew It (337 pages)
Task 1 This book had all the natural disasters- earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis etc caused by the moon getting too close to earth.

I liked that this was told in diary form through the eyes of a teenage girl. It was compelling and seemed realistic in an apocalyptic way.
4 stars from me.

WoFSharonBiskit

I read Summer Rental byRektok Ross.

In this book, a group of high school graduates are stuck on a Florida Island and are hit head on by a hurricane. While the plot of the story was what you might expect, I was impressed with the writing about the storm. Having grown up in Florida, I am familiar with hurricanes and the mistaken attitudes that visitors sometimes have about them. I read this book mainly in one day. That day happened to be the day Hurricane Debby came ashore and we are feeling some effects here in Georgia. So, the mood was set.

I give the book 3 stars because the plot was just ok. But the hurricane descriptions and damage were right on.

Kirstie: I read Eruption as well, and agree wholeheartedly with your review.

WoF Katrisa
I read After Oz. It is about the aftermath of the tornado that brought Dorothy to Oz. It is historical fiction with a mystery. I enjoyed the book and it was an interesting look at mental health care in the late 1800s and small town middle America. I gave the book 4 stars.

WoF Janice

I read Crossroads which was set in Montana. It was a quick read and a fun romp. I wouldn't say it was realistic fiction. I'm not sure I'll continue the series. If the next book crosses my path, I won't turn it down.

WoF Jayme
I read This Is Chance!: The Shaking of an All-American City, a Voice That Held It Together by Jon Mooallem. It is a nonfiction account of the earthquake of 1964 that hit Anchorage and the woman news reporter that helped bring calm and information to the world.

This book started off riveting as it gave a minute by minute account of the earthquake, its devastation and how the people rallied together to help each other. But then it took a sharp detour and started comparing the earthquake and the news reporter to the play Our Town (which was playing at the local community theater) and the lead Emily. The book then went off into the land of metaphors never to return. 2 stars.

I read The Only Good Indians which is a creepy story told from the perspective of the Blackfoot tribe found in my home state of Montana. This book is set primarily around the Great Falls area of Montana and is really unique in the style of horror it brings forth. Would recommend to anyone interested in horror or just native culture.

WofF TrudyAn
I read Medicine River by Thomas King (272 pp).

How it fits: The novel was set in the fictional town of Medicine River, Alberta.

I have read several books by Thomas King, and enjoyed every one of them. He writes with such authenticity. This book has his trademark subtle humour and wonderful character development.

WoF Vicki

I went with the 4th option read a book set in Alberta.

I read The Melting Queen, it is set in Edmonton, Alberta. It was a weird little book I read for the topper. The title character of the melting queen is an annual paegent sort of thing where the queen is chosen by the previous queen. The job comes with some mysterious powers.
I had very different expectations, thinking the book would focus on gender issues and while it did, there was also a lot of magic and fantasy contrasting the supposed gloom of the long north winter. It was a fun read.

WoF - Lynn

Book read - Bennet, Pride Before the Fall
Option 2 - Set in New Zealand
Cute read, and a nice retelling of P&P which always puts me in a cozy comfort zone.

WoF - Sandra from PA

I read The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough for option 1, read a book about a natural disaster.

In 1889 the area of Johnstown in Pennsylvania had an unprecedented rain for a few days. Many areas in town were already flooded (in a record high) when a dam up in the mountain broke, and one of the biggest man-made lakes just drained completely to the valley, destroying Johnstown and other smaller towns in its way completely. 2200 people die and only a few buildings stay standing. Everything else disappeared.

I put some interesting quotes in my review, plus a map and a link to the Johnstown Flood National Memorial in case anyone is interested:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

You did it! I knew you would. :)

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