June 2013: Killing Kennedy

Stephanie:  I really liked this book.  Kennedy's life is laid out in detail, both the good and the bad, in what I thought was an evenhanded approach.  Very well done!


Becca:  I enjoyed this book more than I expected. Interesting read.


Jill:  Almost a guilty pleasure given all the salacious details about JFK's life, but found this book very readable - recommend!  (Also recommend Killing Lincoln, which I accidentally read first, thinking it was the book club book!)

May 2013: On the Island

Barb:  Easy breezy beach-ready read.  Self-pub, so high on invoking any latent pool boy fantasies but low on literary merit.

Chari:  Thought it was a fun beach read and yes, I liked it a lot. I read it during vacation last summer and ignored my family the whole day. Could not put it down and was thoroughly entertained!

Holly:  Fluffy fluff.

Steph:  Fun, summery read.  I liked the characters and, even if everything was a bit too convenient and easily wrapped up, it was still an entertaining read.

Ashley:  A light fun book to be read on a beach with a fruity drink - The Blue Lagoon meets Sex in the City.

Amanda:  This book started out good and I really loved the adventure of it all. But the ending was so predictable and unworthy of the preceding storyline. I did enjoy the book, just wished it was a little less insipid.

Becca:  I liked this fun, light, "beach read".   I think it was a nice break from the heavier books we have been reading.

Aday:  Fast read, but lacked substance.  

Kerry:  I loved this book, it was sappy and corny and I cried.  There is not much that I will take away with me from this book, but I really enjoyed it!

Kasey:  This is definitely not in my top 5 or even 100 books.  I found both characters to be annoying.  I was actually rooting for the shark when they were on the island.  It was an easy read, but I was very bored throughout.

Mary:  This book wasn't anything special.  An easy summery read for sure, but it was so wrapped up that it annoyed me.  I guess I like just a bit of conflict!!!

Jenn K:  Easy, breezy, fun. Perfect for the beach. I predict a Lifetime movie starring Jennie Garth and Justin Bieber in its future.

April 2013: Nothing to Envy

Barb:  A very timely, gritty, and informative (though somehow not riveting) tale of North Korean defectors and their lives under their dictators' thumbs.

Jill:  It seems wrong to say that I loved this book, given the subject matter and the senseless suffering it detailed, but I am so glad I read it.  It educated me on North Korea while also telling the stories of the characters so beautifully that it read like a novel.

Holly:  A bit tough to get through, but definitely educational.

Becca:  I thought the book was interesting, informative, and incredibly disturbing all at the same time. I'm embarrassed that I didn't know more about N. Korea.  It got a little tedious at times, but overall I really liked the book.

Kerry:  Nothing to Envy enthralled me.  It was hard to imagine what life is like in North Korea, but the memorable stories have stuck with me.  I recommend this book to anyone who wants to expand their understanding of the world.

Steph:  Very interesting and informative.  Made me highly sympathetic to the plight of those currently living in North Korea - I am thankful for the raised awareness the book gave me.

March 2013: Tell the Wolves I'm Home

Aday:  "There are dark black buttons tattooed on my heart. I'll carry them for the rest of my days." Brilliantly beautiful book, I fell in love with it all.

Stephanie:  This book was beautiful, sincere & heartfelt. Loved it!

Jill:  I felt like this book was trying too hard.  It was ok, but didn't love it.

Mary:  I felt like I was 14 again--the 80s, the confusion, the naivete, the experimenting with who I was, how to feel, how to just be.  I thought it was perfectly written and I loved it all.  

January 2013: Gone Girl

Jenn:  Really well executed story told in an infuriatingly interesting way. Can't wait for the movie to see if they change the maddening ending. Loved it.

Amanda:  This book really, really surprised me.  I was completely under the spell of our "heroine".....and then WHAM!  Shocker, truly.

Aday:  Slow start, clever finish.

Becca:  Gone Girl was cleverly written with interesting twists and turns, but I felt robbed at the end. It's not that I expected a happy ending, just one that was as creatively written as the rest of the book.

Kerry:  I read this book in a day, it was a great read and fast-paced.  My only criticism is that the characters were horrible people!

Mary:  I enjoyed this book for the most part-especially the big "twist" in the middle.  But the ending was kind of disappointing and didn't really make sense to me.  Overall, pretty good, girl.

November 2012: The American Heiress

Jill:  Fun, easy read and the main character became more likable as the book went on, despite her making some rather stupid decisions.  Recommend for what it is: enjoyable fluff. 

Holly:   Good summer beach read.


Chari:  Thought the book was a fun, light read but not a great discussion book. Therefore, I have nothing else to say.

October 2012: Room

Mary:  Holy shit. This thing was terrifying. And also so amazing. At first I wasn't sure I'd be able to stomach it because I am so sensitive and I sort of hate to read things that are hard to read, especially when there are children involved.  But I persevered and the middle chapter was just incredible. The last part of the book was heart-wrenching. I cried and cried--even at just the simple things. This book is going to stay with me--I practically want to change my whole life because of it.

Jenn:   It feels wrong to say I liked Room, but I really did enjoy reading it.  The story was innovative and told in a really complex way revealing the circumstances slowly in a very intentional way. It got a bit Lifetime movie at points, but I defnitely recommend it to others as a worthwhile read.

Becca:  Loved it. Read it twice.

Barb:  It took me a while to get used to the narrative style but I was hooked after about 75 pages.  I appreciated the subtext-- a great reminder that kids don't need "stuff" to be happy; they simply crave love and attention from their parent(s). 

Amanda:  ROOM was very different.  The climax to the book was definitely (spoiler alert) the big escape.  After that, it just got tired.  The mother made me angry with her selfishness once they got out.  Plus, there were some things that were a little too personal that I could have done without.

Holly:  Intense!!

Aday:  This was a unique way to tell a complicated story, and I found the 5 year old main character to be very believable. There were times the book seemed slow and a little redundant at times, and then a page-turning section where you wanted to text all of your friends: "OMG, have you read ROOM??!!!!!" All in all, a good book and definitely one I would recommend.

September 2012: The Clan of the Cave Bear

Chari:  I enjoyed the book and the author's interpretation of history through the eyes of a cro-magnon family. Different and fun using imagination. I read the sequel, valley of the horses, and liked it even better.

Jill:  Couldn't get past 50 pages on this one.  Wasn't interested in the characters at all and didn't want to commit to the next 450+ pages.


Amanda:  Very long, but very intersesting.  Its fascinating to see how far women have come...ha ha ha!

Becca:  I enjoyed the historical fiction aspect of the book but can't say this was a "page turner" for me. Decent read--now I want to re-watch the movie.


Stephanie:  Interesting subject matter, entertaining story, so-so writing.....glad to have read it, though, and would like the read the rest of the series!


Holly:  A commitment of a book, interesting, and it made me crave beef jerky.

Aday:  Life is too short for a book this boring.

August 2012: Unbroken

Barb:  I found this book totally engrossing, if a bit oppressive at times.  It was inspiring to read how a person was able to will himself to live through the most challenging circumstances imaginable.

Chari:  Really enjoyed the book and insight to the hardships the POWs faced.  Thought was very well written.  LZ is an inspiration for everyone, I love his spirit and willingness to forgive and move on with his life.

Becca:  I thought Unbroken was an inspiring novel about the atrocities of war and the resilience of the human spirit.

Aday:  Slow to start, but transformed into an inspirational story of survival that was hard to put down.

Kerry:  Unbroken is such a wonderful book that tells a powerful, true story.  This book is well worth reading.

Mary:  This was an incredible book- I loved it from start to finish.  It was so interesting to learn about the running, the raft, the pacific part of the war and who couldn't just love Louie?

Stephanie:  All the hype is true - an amazing story and a great read!

June 2012: What Alice Forgot

Kerry:  I loved this book.  It was a quick read and a book that I identified with and it resonated with me.  I have continued to think about it.  Highly recommended.

Amanda:  I LOVED this book.  I could not put it down.  It was such an interesting idea and I can only imagine how our "moms" in the group must have felt reading this.

Jill:  Really enjoyed this book in spite of the plot contrivance of amnesia – this may be the first chick-lit book that actually made me think!  Good reminder that small decisions can add up over the course of ten years.

Stephanie:  I liked this book, I think because I could relate to Alice being in my late 30s with kids and a busy life.  It was an easy read and enjoyable.  I did think it could have been much shorter, though - I got a little frustrated with how the author dragged it out and think it would have been better at half the length.

Aday:   A little cheesy in the beginning and filled with characters of little substance, but an interesting read nonetheless.

Becca:  I thought this was a good, easy read.  It wasn't earth-shattering, but decent enough if you're looking for a beach read.

Chari:  I liked it and thought a fun, unique way to share a story. Reminds us to keep our priorities in line. Thought an easy read and good summer material.  

Jenn:  Truly enjoyed the book from beginning to end. It immediately dives into the drama and moves quickly. The author reveals each primary character in an interesting and meaningful way, causing you to pause and really evaluate if what you value right now is what is important to you long term.