Author: Erin K.

Welcome to the final discussion of The Hunt for Red October.

What did you think of the end of the book? Did the action conclude the way you thought it would? I thought this section was definitely the most exciting and the most action-packed. I flew through these last pages. 

There is a lot of SONAR talk in this last section. Submarines and boats are pinging each other and searching for each other all throughout this last section. I found those sections to be a little confusing because I didn’t really know much about SONAR. But, the video below really helped me understand the science behind those scenes. Check it out if you’d like to learn more about how submarines use SONAR to move through the water. 

There were so many stressful scenes in these last chapters! First, the shootout between Ramius, Ryan, and the guy, Kamarov who stayed behind on the sub to make sure it didn’t fall into the hands of the Americans. I knew he was going to end up being a problem, but I kind of thought that Ryan would be able to talk him down, and I didn’t really expect that Kamarov would be killed. He was very dedicated to his beliefs, though, so he was not able to be turned. It was so stressful after that shootout since there were now wounded men on the sub. I can’t imagine how scary it would be in that situation to have a problem like that and know that you were so isolated in a submarine. 

Obviously, the part where the V.K. Konovalov was hunting the Red October was really intense. First, the Konovalov fires torpedoes at the Red October, but somehow, the Red October is able to maneuver so that they are not blown to bits by the torpedo that hits them. Then, there was a lot of pinging of SONAR and fighting back and forth until the two submarines ran into each other, and the Konovalov was mortally wounded. I was really surprised that was how the whole event ended. I was glad that it was all solved without any escalation to war. 

What did you think about all of the Soviet crew members who got a grand American tour before they went home? Did you think more would ask to stay in the U.S? What about the men on the Red October? Wasn’t it funny that they were so affected by E.T.? That made me laugh. I wonder how the men fare in America after the book ends? 

What outlying character ended up being your favorite? I think Jonesy, the guy who was doing all of the navigating was my favorite. He was so good at his job. 

While you were reading, were you curious about how Tom Clancy had such in-depth knowledge of all of the military jargon, technology, and equipment? According to his obituary in The New York Times, Clancy got all of his information from interviews and technical manuals. Isn’t that crazy? You would think he was a high-ranking military official because of all of the realistic details in this book. 

I hope you enjoyed reading this book this month! If you enjoyed this book and would like to read or watch similar titles, check out this list I created. Please make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list. 

I hope you’ll check back next month as we read National Velvet by Enid Bagnold. I can’t wait to hear all of your thoughts on The Hunt for Red October in the comments section! 

Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Hunt for Red October. 

Did you enjoy the section this week? I was still surprised by how many characters and settings there were in every chapter, but I felt like I was a little better able to keep up with all of the details this week. Did you struggle to keep every character and setting straight? I was a little surprised, also, that Jack Ryan wasn’t a more prevalent character. I thought he would be in a lot more scenes than he was. 

What was the most exciting scene to you? I think the most interesting part to me was when the Red October realized she had been spotted, so she came to the surface and received those messages from the American ships. Do you think Ramius was hoping to be spotted? Was that all part of his plan? I was surprised that Ramius was able to decipher the English messages, but I was glad that he was. After the Americans contacted Ramius, I felt like the whole rescue mission was finally going to work. It felt like a puzzle piece that had fallen into place. I felt like there was hope for the Red October to not be taken out by the Soviet fleet following them. 

Another exciting part was the spy sting that happened at the end of chapter 13. Didn’t you feel confused when the CIA operative, Ritter, started telling the senator, Donaldson, that they believed Poland was responsible for raising suspicion about the Red October? That seemed like such an obvious lie, so I was really confused why the information was being shared. But, it all made sense once it was revealed that Henderson, the senator’s chief aide, was really a spy and shared that fake story with his Soviet contact. I wasn’t expecting that at all, were you? 

Henderson wasn’t the only spy in this section. Were you surprised to learn that there is a Kremlin agent going undercover on the Red October? Surely, Ramius has no idea, right? This man has orders to destroy the sub if it strays from its mission. What is going to happen once the Red October comes in contact with the American ships? Do you think this hidden person will make trouble for the ship? 

What did you think of the other Soviet ship, the Politovskiy, that blew up? One man, the cook, was rescued, but the rest of the men were lost. It was kind of handy, I guess, that the boat exploded, since it gave the Americans a reason to be out near where all of the submarines were. How else will the Americans use this explosion to their advantage? How will this tie in to the Red October?

Did any other parts stick out to you? What’s your guess for what will happen in the last section? How is this all going to be resolved? What will Jack Ryan do in the last section? What will happen to all of the extra crew members on the Red October? 

Before you go, check out the video clip below in which Tom Clancy talks about his writing process and how he didn’t change after his books came out. 

Finally, several different actors have played Jack Ryan over the years. Check out this article to get reacquainted with each of the actors. Do you agree with the ranking from the article? Which Jack Ryan do you like the best? 

I hope you’ll join us again next month as we finish the book! I can’t wait to hear all of your thoughts in the comments section!

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Hunt for Red October. 

What did you think of the reading this week? The beginning of the book was not what I was expecting. I think I thought it was going to be more action-packed, right from the beginning, but there was a lot of technical submarine talk that I wasn’t prepared for. And, there were more plot lines than I was expecting. I had to make sure to read all of the section headings, so I knew exactly where the action for that little section was taking place! What did you think of the first couple of chapters? 

As soon as I started reading about the submarines, I had to look up what the inside of a submarine looks like. I just couldn’t picture how everything would fit in that kind of tight space. If you’re curious about the inside of a submarine, check out the video below and then read this article. Is the inside of the submarine what you imagined? 

In the first chapter, we learn that the Soviet submarine, captained by Marko Ramius, is up to something. It appears that this will be a normal mission, but in the first couple of pages, Ramius kills his political officer and covers up the murder. Then, he turns the submarine in a different direction than their orders decreed they should go. We don’t know for sure what’s happening, but it does seem reasonable that they are doing what Jack Ryan believes–defecting to the United States. 

What do you think of Jack Ryan? It’s interesting that he’s thrust into a position of trust and power after working as a stockbroker and history professor. He is definitely someone that everyone listens to. Do you think he’s similar to any other characters that you’ve seen in other books? Did you like reading about him, and did you find yourself rooting for him and hoping that all of his theories would end up being correct? 

What were your first impressions of Ramius? He mentions that he’s fed up with the Soviet system because his wife died after receiving improper care from a Soviet doctor. The doctor was not punished for his actions because he was the son of a high ranking Soviet Party member. Does that seem like sufficient motivation to kill a person on the submarine and change the mission for the submarine? Do you think Ramius is a good man, even though he has already done some horrible things? 

There were a lot of extra characters throughout this first section. There was Tyler, the man who was able to look at pictures of the Red October and figure out its schematics, the President, who seemed to be a little like Reagan, and Jones, the guy who first hears the Red October. Did any of these men stand out to you? Did you get confused with all of the extra military officials who were introduced in every section? 

At the end of this first section, the Soviets are having trouble with their radiation badges. Is this all part of Ramius’s plan to get the submarine where it wasn’t expected to be? Maybe having these messed up badges will make the submarine come up to the surface sooner than expected. 

What other parts in this section stood out to you? Are you excited to read the next section? 

Thanks for following along this week! I can’t wait to hear your first impressions in the comments section. And, make sure to check back next week as we talk about chapters 8-13. 

Welcome to May’s Online Book Club. This month, we’re reading The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy. 

The Online Book Club, if you’ve never joined us before, is a book discussion group that takes place entirely online. Each week, I write a new blog post that talks about different aspects of the book, and you can interact directly with me and other readers by leaving your comments. Check back each week and see what new topics we’re talking about.

The Hunt for Red October is a thrilling book about a Soviet submarine that veers off course and starts heading towards the United States. Is the submarine full of Soviet soldiers who are looking to defect to the U.S., or is this an act of war? Jack Ryan is the only man who is able to figure out the Soviet’s motives, and he soon takes the case. This book has a very exciting and action-packed ending that is perfect reading for warmer months. 

If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the movie version starring Alec Baldwin and Sean Connery.  Check out the trailer above if you want to get a feel for the movie. Feel free to still leave comments on the blog posts, even if you’re only watching the movie and not reading the book.

We’ll read through the first seven chapters for next week, so keep reading until you get to the section called, “”The Eighth Day.” I can’t wait to hear what you think of the first chapters in the comments section!

Welcome to the final Online Book Club discussion of Atonement.

How many of you wish the book had ended at before the very last little section entitled “London, 1999?” I think I wish it had. It was very sad to read what happened to Cecilia and Robbie. 

Were you surprised that the whole book was the manuscript that Briony wrote? It makes sense, then, that the first section created such a richer portrait of Briony because she was the person telling the story. Of course she knew more about the inner workings of Briony than she knew about anyone else. Do you think Briony was fair in her retelling, or do you think she put herself in a more positive light than she should have? 

What did you think about the wedding scene between Lola and Paul? Were you surprised that he was her attacker? I really was. And, I was surprised that she ended up marrying him after the whole ordeal. It seemed like, at the end of the book, that she had a comfortable life, but I can’t imagine that she really had a lot of happiness. What do you think? Why do you think it was so important for Briony to have Lola see her at the wedding? What was Briony trying to do? 

Do you think Briony treated her nursing as a type of penance for her past actions? It was really sad all of the things that she saw while she was nursing. The man who had lost part of his brain was especially heartbreaking. I don’t think I could have been strong enough to be pleasant and helpful for those men. It would be so hard to keep a pleasant face while seeing all of that pain and misery. The description of the man who had been burned was really hard to read, too. It seemed almost a relief when he passed away. I just didn’t see how he could recover from that sort of injury. 

Were you surprised when Robbie made an entrance in the scene between Briony and Cecilia? I was shocked to see him. Did you think they all interacted with each other like you thought? Was the meeting friendlier than you expected? I thought it was. I didn’t even expect Cecilia and Robbie to talk to Briony. 

How did you process the last section at Briony’s birthday party? I thought it was cool that Briony was a famous author, and I loved reading about all of the research she put into her book. But, I was flabbergasted when she revealed the truth about Cecilia and Robbie. What a heartbreaking end. I don’t even know how Briony was able to keep going. And, I thought the last part where she said she changed the ending to be more hopeful for her readers a little misleading. Do you think she really did that because readers would be too dishearted by the truth, or did she do it because she wanted to not look quite so bad. I’m not sure if she had pure motives. 

What else stuck out to you in this section? What were your favorite parts? 

Are you curious about the creation of the novel? Check out this article to read how the book came to be and how McEwan decided on the ending. 

If you liked this book and want to read and watch similar titles, check out this list I created. Let me know if you check out anything on the list!

Thanks so much for joining us this month. I hope you enjoyed the book. Make sure to let me know all of your thoughts in the comments! And, be sure to join us again next month as we read The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy. I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments!

Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of Atonement.

This section was so hard to read! I felt like I was experiencing the horrors of war right beside Robbie. I had to push myself to keep going. How did you feel about this section? Wasn’t it so hard to read about all of the things he had to do, all the while knowing that he was injured and was not getting the medical attention he needed? 

When I first started reading this section, I missed the fact that he was injured. His wound was barely mentioned at the beginning of the section. And, when it was mentioned, it seemed pretty insignificant. It seemed like something he could have gotten fixed pretty easily. Why didn’t he tell anyone? I would think that he would want medical attention because then, maybe, he would be able to go home? I’ve read through the second section a couple of times, and I can’t find anything that says why Robbie doesn’t ask for help. Does he not realize how bad his injury is? All I kept reading was that he wanted privacy, so that he could inspect his injury. I wish he could have found some, so he could have realized how badly injured he was. 

In his musings, Robbie describes the relationship he had with Cecilia after he was taken to prison. He describes their loving letters, and then he describes their disappointing meet up after he was released. It totally made sense that they were awkward with each other after being apart for so long. And, I can imagine it would be weird to see each other in person after corresponding over letter for so long. Were you surprised that they wanted to keep their relationship going? They didn’t have much of a romantic relationship before he went to prison. It was a little surprising to me that they were so dedicated to each other. It’s good that Robbie had memories of Cecilia to think about, though, because I think they helped him keep going through the horrors of war. 

Robbie mentions that he and Cecilia believe that Danny Hardman is the one responsible for the attack against Lola. What do you think? 

This section was so different from the first. It was almost hard to keep track of what was going on because Robbie shifted so quickly from thinking about the past to experiencing the present. Was it hard for you to understand what exactly he was doing? Did you have a hard time keeping up with all of the details? Did you enjoy this section, or did you wish this section was more like the first with chapter breaks and more typical narration? 

What war experiences stuck out the most to you while reading this section? I just couldn’t believe all of the chaos. Robbie was dodging bombs and trying to save civilians and helping with the injured–all without really taking a breath. It was just constant movement and destruction and pain. I don’t think I would have the will to keep going if I were faced with similar circumstances. 

What do you make of the last part of the section? Do you think Robbie is ok? 

By the end of the section, we know that Robbie eventually made it to Dunkirk. If you would like to read more about that battle to understand Robbie’s circumstances a bit better, check out this article. And, if you’d like to see how the Dunkirk section plays out in the movie version, check out the clip below. 

I hope you’re ready and excited to finish the book for next week! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts and impressions of this second section in the comments. 

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of Atonement. 

How did you enjoy the reading this week? I found that by the end of the section, I didn’t want to keep reading. I just had such a hard time with Briony, and I couldn’t believe how she completely destroyed Robbie’s life with her imagination. I just didn’t want to keep reading to see how things were going to pan out for him! Did you feel that way, or were you anxious to keep reading because you hoped that things wouldn’t go poorly for Robbie? There were just so many misunderstandings. I wanted everyone to just talk to each other! 

Do you feel like you really know anything about any of the characters after this first section? I feel like the only character that I really know at all is Briony. The rest are a little cloudy. What are your first impressions of Briony? It’s interesting that she is so creative an innovative–writing a play that is so in-depth that people could actually act it out. That’s interesting. However, her creativitiy may be her only redeeming quality for me. She is so self-centered, and she is completely uncontrolled when it comes to her thoughts and opinions. At the beginning of the book, I was drawn to Robbie. He seemed like an all-around nice guy. Maybe he had some lapses in judgement when he wrote that note to Cecilia and didn’t triple check to make sure that he didn’t give that explicit note to her, but other than that, he seemed really kind. What did you think of Cecilia? Did you feel like you knew enough about her to make a judgement about her? I felt like Cecelia didn’t know enough about herself, so it was hard for me to understand her. 

Were you surprised by how quickly things progressed for Cecilia and Robbie? I felt like they went from casual acquantances to lovers so quickly. Why do you think they moved so quickly? Do you think they were always interested in each other but didn’t admit it? Do you think there were other encounters and flirtations that we didn’t hear about in the book? Were you surprised that Cecilia wasn’t offended by the note and then met up with Robbie in the library? I think all of Cecilia’s actions in this first section are so confusing. I couldn’t understand why she was taking off her clothes to jump in the fountain. I felt like it was a power move, but I didn’t really understand it. Do you have any insights into these two characters? 

I felt sorry for the cousins throughout this section. They really seemed adrift. The boys just needed someone to take care of them, and Lola needed help as well. How do you think she got those bruises before the dinner? She says that the boys attacked her, but that doesn’t seem like something they could or would do. Do you think she was attacked by an adult–maybe the same person who attacked her later? What do you think really happened outside at the temple? Briony did not see the face of the person attacking Lola, but I’m sure it wasn’t Robbie. Who else could it have been? Someone at the dinner, or could it be someone who just sneaked on the grounds? 

This section ends with Briony sticking to her story and accusing Robbie, even though she knows she didn’t see the face of the attacker. Didn’t you hope she would confess to someone that she wasn’t 100% sure what happened to Lola? What do you think will happen in the next sections? What will life end up being for Robbie? Do you think he and Cecilia will meet again? 

Throughout this first section, the house is an important character, don’t you think? If you’d like to read about how the movie production company picked a house to film the home scenes, check out this article. And then, check out this link to find out how you can visit the house in real life! 

Take a look at this article about making Cecilia’s iconic green dress work for the movie version. I thought this article was especially interesting!

Finally, check out the video below to see Ian McEwan talk about his writing process. I always enjoy hearing how and where authors create their masterpieces. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0ZEE9_iZRk

I hope you enjoyed the reading this week! Make sure to join us again next week as we talk about Part 2. 

I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments section!

Welcome to April’s Online Book Club. This month, we’re reading Atonement by Ian McEwan. 

The Online Book Club, if you’ve never joined us before, is a book discussion group that takes place entirely online. Each week, I write a new blog post that talks about different aspects of the book, and you can interact directly with me and other readers by leaving your comments. Check back each week and see what new topics we’re talking about.

Atonement is the story of the Tallis family and their life right before the beginning of World War II. The youngest Tallis, Briony, makes a choice early in the book, and this choice affects the rest of the family for decades to come. The story moves through World War II and concludes at the end of the 20th century, and each scene and time period is expertly written. 

If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the movie version starring Kiera Knightley. Check out the trailer above if you want to get a feel for the movie. Feel free to still leave comments on the blog posts, even if you’re only watching the movie and not reading the book.

This book is split up into three parts, so we’re going to read Part 1 for next week. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts about Part 1 in the comments section!

Welcome to the final week of the Online Book Club discussion of Little Women.

Did you enjoy reading the end of the book? Are you excited to read the next part of the book now that you’ve read the first part? Have you decided which character is your favorite character? Did your favorite character change from the beginning of the book to the end of the book? 

At the beginning of this section, Beth gets really sick with scarlet fever. Did you think she was going to pull through? I was very nervous, and I just didn’t know if she was going to recover. I was really scared when the doctor said to call Marmee. That seemed like the end. And, I was nervous when Beth was delirious and offering her possessions to everyone. Didn’t you think it was ironic that Amy decided to write a will for herself, even though she wasn’t sick? And, she had no knowledge that Beth was giving away her possessions. I wonder what put the idea for a will in Amy’s head? 

While Beth is sick, Amy spends time with Aunt March, and she forms a connection with her. Why do you think Amy had such success with Aunt March but Jo didn’t? Do you think Amy is more sweet? Do you think she was less stubborn than Jo? I was a little confused by the shrine and chapel that Amy created in this chapter. It seemed to me like she was just praying so she could receive something from Aunt March. I think she just wanted the turquoise ring, and by the end of the chapter, she got it. 

Meg and Mr. Brooke definitely progressed in their relationship in this last section. At first, it seemed like Meg wasn’t interested, but then she was really interested, especially after she had to defend him to Aunt March. What did you think of the part where Laurie plays a prank on Meg and Jo by writing those love letters? I was sad that Meg had to endure that kind of stress and humiliation, but I was really glad that Laurie was the only one who saw the letters, and Mr. Brooke had no knowledge of them.  At the end of this section, it’s agreed that Meg and Mr. Brooke will eventually marry. Do you think Meg will regret not marrying a more wealthy man? What do you think Jo will do when the actual marriage arrives? I think she will have a really hard time, and I think she will try to convince Meg to stay at home in the years between the proposal and the marriage. 

So, what were your impressions of this first part of the book? Do you think you’ll want to read the second part? Let me know in the comments section if you end up reading more! And, let me know what your favorite chapters were. What scenes did you like reading the most? I liked the scenes where the girls were imagining and playing together. That sounds really fun to have a sibling relationship like that. 

I hope you enjoyed reading with us this month! If you liked reading this book, you might enjoy some titles on this list I created. Make sure to let me know if you check anything out from the list!

If you’d like to read some facts about Louisa May Alcott, check out this article. Do any of the facts surprise you? 

Before you go, check out the video clip below in which the director of the latest movie version talks about why she wanted to make a Little Women movie. 

Thanks for following along with us this month! I hope you’ll join us again next month as we read Atonement by Ian McEwan. I can’t wait to hear all of your thoughts and opinions in the comments section!

Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of Little Women.

Did you enjoy reading this section this week? I thought it was fun to get a little bit more information about each of the girls this week. 

At the beginning of this section, Meg attends a fancy party and gets in over her head. I really did not like the way the other girls were treating her. It was ridiculous that they were treating her like she was a person to be pitied just because she didn’t have as much money as everyone else. One of the confusing things for me throughout the book is the fact that the March family wasconsidered poor, but from my perspective, it seemed like they had a good amount of money. Maybe they didn’t have as much money as everyone else, but they seemed to be comfortable. What do you think? Do you think the people around them were more in the upper crust, and the March family was more of a middle class family? What did you think of Laurie and Meg in this section? He was very brotherly towards her. I felt like he was really trying to protect her, and he wanted her to make good decisions. 

Another very exciting thing in this section was the fact that Jo had one of her stories published in the newspaper. I thought it was interesting that she was so proud to have published because she hoped it would lead to her being able to support herself and help her sisters. Do you think she believes that if she is a good enough writer, she can stop her sisters from marrying and leaving the house? She seems to hope that no one will leave the family. She definitely didn’t like the fact that Mr. Brooke has a crush on Meg. Do you think, considering the time period, that Jo would be able to fully support herself without the help of a man? Is that an attainable dream for her? Do you think it’s fair that she wants all of her sisters to stay with her forever? 

In the last two chapters, Marmee leaves the family to go tend to her ill husband, and the family is thrown into chaos. Jo decides to cut off all of her hair to raise money for the family, and the Laurences come together to help Marmee travel. Mr. Brooke decides to accompany Marmee–do you think he is doing this for Marmee or because he thinks it will make Meg like him more? It seems like his offer to travel with Marmee made Meg very thankful, and I think it made her look at him differently. What did you think of everyone’s letters in the last chapter? I thought it was funny how each letter was so different in tone and matched each character so well. Jo’s letter was very dramatic, Meg’s was serious, and Amy’s was mostly about herself. I liked Mr. Laurence’s letter the best. He is so kind. I’m glad the March women have him around. 

What do you think will happen to Mr. March? It seems that he’s getting better, but do you think this sickness will be the thing that brings him home? What do you think will happen with Mr. Brooke and Meg? How long do you think it will take Jo to grow her hair out? 

What parts of this section did you enjoy the most? Did you have a favorite chapter or scene that I didn’t mention? 

Did you know that you can visit Louisa May Alcott’s house? Check out the website to learn more and check out the Digital Discoveries page to see some artifacts from the house. Does it look like a place you would like to visit? 

Check out the video link before you go to see how well the stars of the latest movie version know the characters from the book!

I hope you’ll join us next week as we finish the book! I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments section.