Author: Erin K.

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of Little Women. 

Did you enjoy reading the first section this week? I really did. It’s such a warm and cozy story. There’s something about reading about a close-knit family that is just so comforting. 

Do you feel an affinity for any of the girls yet? It’s interesting that they are all so different from each other. It was easy to see Jo, Beth, and Amy’s passions, but I found it a little harder to understand Meg and her interests. She seems so mature and good. How would you describe Meg? What did you think of Amy in this first section? It’s so hard for me to think of nice things to say about Amy–she just isn’t a likeable character to me. But, she was only 12 at the beginning of the book, so it makes sense that she acted immaturely throughout. I’ve always felt like Jo is the most interesting character just because she is so creative and bold. I like how feisty she is. 

At the very beginning of the book, we see that the March family has fallen on hard times, but they are still willing to give up their meal for a family that is less fortunate. Did that scene at the beginning endear you to the girls? I felt like it served to show readers that even if they girls make mistakes and are cruel to each other at times throughout the book, they are all good at heart. What did you think? 

I feel like the family dynamic changed once Laurie came on the scene. What do you think of Laurie? Do you think he’s good for the girls? I always think about Jo and Laurie together when I think about the book, and I never really think about him interacting with any of the other girls. So, it was nice to see him be tender to Beth when she came to his house to play the piano, and he is so kind to Amy throughout the first section. What was your favorite interaction with Laurie? 

I found myself feeling really emotional when Beth was given the new piano. She just seems so meek and tender–it was nice to read about someone being tender to her. And, it was fun to see her be brave and kind to Mr. Laurence. Did you enjoy this section? Did you like seeing Beth recognized? 

What did you think of Amy’s pickled limes incident? I found the whole situation to be over the top. I thought Amy’s punishment was too much. I could have understood if the teacher just had her throw away the limes. That seems perfectly reasonable. But, the fact that he hit her hand and made her stand in front of everyone was a little much. However, I felt that it was an overreaction to have Amy pull out of school after the punishment. I think corporal punishment was really common at school back then, so I’m not sure why Amy pulled out of school completely afterwards. WHat did you think? 

At the end of this section, Amy and Jo have an intense fight, and Amy ends up falling in the frozen pond. Luckily, she’s not hurt, but still, it was a scary situation. Were you surprised that the pair had such an intense fight? I don’t blame Jo for being angry at Amy–it was really harsh that Amy burned up Jo’s manuscript. But, I did feel disappointed that Jo ignored Amy on the pond, especially since she knew the pond could be really dangerous. 

What was your favorite part of this first section? Are you excited to keep reading? 

Before you go, check out this clip in which the actors and director of the latest movie adaptation discuss the creation of a scene. It’s really interesting!

I hope you’ll join us again next week as we read through chapter 16. I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments section. 

Welcome to March’s Online Book Club. This month, we’re reading Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. 

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.

Little Women is the story of the March sisters and their lives in New England during the Civil War. The sisters are all different and distinct, but they love each other deeply and have a lot of fun together. Throughout the book, readers encounter the sisters experiencing heartache and joy all while growing up from young girls to women. 

If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the 2019 movie version starring Saoirse Ronan.  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 has two distinct sections that are sometimes published as two separate books. Both books together are very long, so I thought it would be best to just read the first part for the book club this month. There are many editions of the story that only feature the first part of the story, but if you have an edition that contains both volumes, know that we won’t read past chapter 23 this month. 

For next week, make sure to read the first 8 chapters! I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments section. 

Welcome to the final discussion of If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin. 

How did you feel about the end of the book? Did it end like you expected it would? I wish there could have been a happier ending, but that wouldn’t be true to life or true to the experiences of so many people. 

At the beginning of this section, we finally begin to understand how Fonny got on the radar of the corrupt cop, Officer Bell. Tish is attacked by a man on the street, and she slaps him and spits in his face/ This causes Fonny to beat the man up, and it catches the attention of Officer Bell. Bell assumes that Fonny started the whole fight, and then, he is publically reprimanded by lady who owns the store where the incident occurred. I think, because he was embarrassed and insulted by that lady, he decided to reclaim his power by later arresting Fonny without cause. Is that how you interpreted the incident. It’s hard not to wonder if the shop owner made the situation worse, but, then again, Bell was set to take Fonny off to jail right then, so he would be in jail either way. It was a lose-lose situation. It’s especially sad that all of this started because a man hurt Tish and Fonny was just trying to protect her. I was surprised by how many times Officer Bell crossed paths with Fonny and Tish before he finally arrested Fonny. He was just biding his time until he could find a crime to pin on Fonny. He was such a scary man. 

What did you think of Tish’s mom’s experience in Puerto Rico? Did everything go the way you thought it would? I had a hard time thinking Victoria would change her story. She was a scared woman who had endured violence, and who knows what the police officers from her case threatened her with. I couldn’t imagine that she would revisit the incident and change her accusation. It was hard to read how Sharon tried so hard to get Victoria and Pietro to see her side of the story, but they can’t. They are too broken and scared. 

In this section, Tish commits to visiting  Fonny every day to keep his spirits up. I’m sure it wasn’t fun for her to see Fonny in that position every day, but he lost so much hope when she couldn’t come every day. It was hard to read the discussions between Fonny and Tish at the end of the book. They love each other so much, and Tish really wants to help, but I think they both understand that they can’t do anything to clear Fonny. It was hard to read their conversation. And, it was hard to see Fonny deteriorate in jail. 

I was shocked when Fonny’s dad was found dead at the end. I didn’t see that coming. It was just more heartbreak in a really sad book. 

The end of the book is pretty ambiguous. Do you think Fonny was able to get out on bail? We learn that Ernestine got the rest of the money, but do you think it was enough? Do you think he stayed in prison and missed the birth of their baby? I don’t know how to interpret the ending, but I find it hard to imagine that he would be let out of jail on bail. I just feel like the powers that be were determined to leave him in prison. 

I hope you enjoyed readng along with us this month! If you enjoyed this book and want to read or watch something similar, check out this list I created. Make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list. 

Finally, if you’d like to watch a really interesting interview about the book with the movie’s director, check out the clip below. And, if you’d like more information about the actors from the movie, check out this clip. 

Thanks for following along this month! Make sure to leave a comment to let me know how the reading experience was for you this month! And, join us again next month as we read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. 

Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin.

What did you think of the reading this week? Did you feel like you got a better understanding of all of the characters, or do you feel like you still have a lot of questions? 

At the beginning of this section, we see the scene where Fonny and Tish announce to her family that they would like to get married. I thought the way her family reacted was very realistic. They were cautious because both Tish and Fonny are young, and they understood that the pair would face a lot of difficulties, but they realized that they were in love and could not be torn from each other. I appreciated the love that Tish’s parents showed to her. They were very concerned about her and her needs and wants. 

Then, the story jumps back to the present, and we see that the woman who has accused Fonny of rape has disappeared. What do you think her disappearance means? Do you think she disappeared because the police officer who claims to have seen Fonny running from the crime knew that her accusations wouldn’t hold up in court? Did he want to be the only voice in the case? Officer Bell is a corrupt police officer, for sure. He appears to have told the victim who to accuse, and he has been accused of racist behavior in the past. In fact, later in this section, we find that Officer Bell has been accused of killing a young boy, and instead of being prosecuted, he was transferred to another precinct. 

One thing that I found to be so sad in Fonny’s case was the fact that his alibi was not considered to be trustworthy because the only people who could corroborate his story were Black. Isn’t that heartbreaking? The police didn’t even care about the story of two human beings who could vouch for Fonny because they were Black. 

At the end of this section, we find out that Tish’s mother is going to travel to Puerto Rico to try to find the woman who accused Fonny, and they’re hoping that this woman will change her story. Do you think that will happen? One thing I appreciated in this section was the fact that Tish brought up the question of whether or not the woman was raped, and her sister shut down that line of questioning. I think in this situation, it would be really easy to shame or attack the victim, but Ernestine gave this woman her dignity and reminded Tish that the police officer is the one who is in the wrong, not a woman who was violently attacked and was pressured to pick her attacker in a line-up. What do you think Tish’s mother will find in Puerto Rico? Do you think she will be able to exonerate Fonny? 

Did you catch the part where Tish explains how different people treat her when they are smelling the perfume she sells. The white men definitely treat her differently than the other men do. It was really sad to read how they made her feel uncomfortable. And, it was sad how, when she was in the crowded subway, she had to wonder if a man was pushing up against her because they meant her harm or if they just had to be close because of the nature of the subway. 

This section ends with both Fonny and his friend Daniel looking pretty hopeless. Fonny is desperate to get out of jail, and Daniel is still healing from his former jail sentence and now is in custody again. It doesn’t look like either one is going to be treated justly, and I’m not sure how the story can end happily for either. What do you think? Is there hope for either man? 

If you’d like to see some of the actors who played parts in the movie version talk about the movie, check out the clip below. 

Make sure to finish the book for next week! I’m excited to hear your thoughts about this section. Make sure to leave a comment to tell me what you thought!

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of If Beale Street Could Talk.

What did you think of the reading experience this week? Did you connect to the characters right away? Did this feel like any story that you had read before? 

I think before talking about the book, it’s important to understand more about James Baldwin and how his life experiences informed his writing. Check out the video clip below to see a small glimpse of the apathy that Baldwin had to continually fight against during his lifetime. And, if you’d like to watch a longer, more in-depth interview with him, check out this clip. 

From these clips, you can see that Baldwin used his characters to express his worldview and opinions. Baldwin experienced and witnessed a lifetime of prejudice and injustice, so it makes sense that his main characters would be fighting against that in this book. In the first section, when Tish is explaining about how Fonny got into sculpture, she says that he tried to go to a vocational school, but the powers that be at that school treated him as if he were dumb and only wanted him to work for someone else. She continues by stating that if a Black person does not work under a white person or is not “owned” by a white person, they are dangerous. She believes that Fonny’s freedom and lack of ownership led him to his arrest. Can you see Baldwin’s experiences and encounters with systemic racism in those sections? Does understanding more about Baldwin help understand the book a little better? 

Right from the beginning of this book, we know that Fonny and Tish are going to have a baby. And, we know that Fonny hopes to be out of prison by the time the baby is born. Tish believes that Fonny has been falsely accused and imprisoned, but we don’t know what he’s been accused of. Right after that, the narrative moves backwards, and we learn how Fonny and Tish met when they were little. What did you think about the narrative moving around like that? Were you confused? Did you want the story to stay in the present time, or did you think it was helpful to get more background information on the characters? 

One outdated thing that stood out to me in this first section was the fact that everyone kept giving Tish alcoholic beverages, even after they found out she was pregnant. Did you notice that while you were reading? It was a small detail, but it really stood out to me!

What did you think of Tish’s family? I liked how supportive and close they were. Right from the beginning, it was evident that they loved Tish a lot and were willing to do anything to help her. I appreciated that they didn’t pressure her to end things with Fonny; instead, they understood the system that entrapped him, and they trusted what they knew about him as a man. I also appreciated that they did not look down on Tish when she told that she was pregnant. They were understanding and supportive. Fonny’s family, on the other hand, were not supportive or helpful. ?His mother hopes that the baby will shrivel up in Tish’s womb, and she completely blames Tish for seducing and influencing her son. In this scene, I believe Tish’s mother and sister would have killed to protect her. They were terrifying. What did you think of this scene? Could you believe that Fonny’s mother and sister had such intense reactions to the news? 

Do you think Fonny and Tish will have a chance to be as happy as they were during some of the flashback scenes? What do you think will happen with Fonny and his jail time as the story progresses? Do you think this is the last we’ve heard of Fonny’s mother and sisters? 

I hope you’re enjoying the book so far and were able to watch both of the Baldwin clips Next week, read through page 132. I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments section!

Welcome to February’s Online Book Club. This month, we’re reading the If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin.

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.

If Beale Street Could Talk is the story of Fonny and Tish, a couple who are deeply in love and are going to have a baby. Their plans for the future are derailed, however, when Fonny is wrongly accused of a violent crime. Throughout the book, Tish attempts to clear his name while also trying to maintain her relationship with Fonny. It’s a moving story about love and injustice. 

If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the  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 a little different than other books we have read because it doesn’t have chapters. So, we’re just going to read the first 75 pages and talk about that for next week. I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments section!

Welcome to Week 4 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Did you enjoy the ending of the book? Were any parts a surprise to you? Did you feel like you could see how the story would end before you got to the last pages? 

This section starts with the children meeting Aslan. Is he what you expected? It is hard to imagine a lion being so kind and gentle. At the end of chapter 12, Peter doesn’t hesitate when he is tasked with rescuing Susan from a wolf. Were you surprised that he was able to kill the wolf so quickly? I can’t imagine that he had ever used a sword before, so it was a little surprising that he knew what to do with it. He was very brave, though, to jump in to help Susan without worrying what could happen to him. 

When Edmund comes back, he is immediately forgiven. What do you think he and Aslan talked about? What do you think Aslan could have said that would make Edmund so changed? Did you feel a little confused when Aslan and the White Witch were talking with each other? I was a little confused about the dynamics of society in Narnia. I couldn’t really figure out how The Witch got her power, and I couldn’t figure out if the Witch and Aslan had met before. Do you think they knew each other? Did you understand all of the intricacies of the magic and laws of Narnia? Where do you think Aslan was before he showed up? 

The killing of Aslan scene is pretty brutal. Did you laugh to yourself when you read the line where C.S. Lewis said he couldn’t describe all of the creatures because they were so gross and parents wouldn’t let children read about such things? I thought that was a nice little moment because it interrupted the tension a little bit. I’ve read this book before, so I knew that Aslan would not stay dead, but still, it’s hard to read about his humiliation and death. It was hard to read about all of the glee that everyone had while they were shaving him and hurting him. What did you think about the scene? Didn’t you feel so sorry for Lucy and Susan because they had to see everything? At least they got to be the first ones to see Aslan alive again. That kind of made up for the trauma they experienced. 

In the last battle, Peter and Edmund fight bravely, and Edmund is pretty hurt. Lucy is able to heal him with her gift from Father Christmas. They free all of the statues, and everyone rejoices that the White Witch is gone. Were you surprised that the siblings claimed the throne and grew up in Narnia? Were you doubly surprised that they didn’t lose any time at all when they came back home? 

What was your favorite part of the last section? What stuck out to you the most? Do you have any favorite scenes? 

If you’d like to see the stars of the movie version reunite, try to check out the Disney+ show, Prop Culture, and watch the Narnia episode. Check out this article to find out more about the show. 

If you liked this book and are excited to read more like it, check out this list I created with similar books and movies. Make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list!

Finally, before you go, check out the video clip below to see differences between the book descriptions of the characters and the movie actors. What do you think of the casting choices for the movie? 

Thanks for following along all month! I hope you’ll join us again next month as we read If Beale Street Could Talk. I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments section. 

Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Did you enjoy reading this section? Again, I felt like I was able to immerse myself in the world of Narnia as soon as I started reading. It’s such a full and believable world. 

Do you find that you enjoy reading stories with magical elements? Or stories with magical creatures? Usually, I feel like I have to be in the right mood to read these types of stories, but I feel like I could read this story at any time and enjoy those elements. I think, what I like about this book, is that even though Narnia is different from our world, it has enough common elements that I feel like I understand everything I’m reading. Sometimes, fantasy books have worlds that are so intricate and different from our world that I really can’t picture what is going on. I like that the talking animals in this book are animals that I can recognize and picture. What do you think? Did you struggle to understand and picture the magical elements, or did you feel comfortable in the story? 

At the beginning of this section, the children are rescued by some beavers, and the beavers are the ones who explain about Mr. Tumnus. They also explain why the White Witch wants the children. Lewis also goes to great lengths, when talking about the beavers, to describe their living quarters. Did you appreciate all the detail he gave about their house? I liked imagining the bunk beds and the kitchen. My copy of the book had a very nice illustration that helped me really picture everything. After they all eat, the beavers share that the White Witch takes people to her home and turns them into statues. What did you think of the prophesy about Cair Paravel? Isn’t it interesting that two boys and two girls are needed to end the White Witch’s reign? It’s no wonder she was so insistent to meet them when Edmund described his family to her. What is your first take on Aslan? The beavers are convinced that he’s moving, and he will be able to defeat the White Witch. 

Were you surprised that Edmund betrayed his siblings by leaving? I was a little surprised. It’s just surprising that the White Witch could have such a hold on him, even though they only met once. As soon as he makes it back to her, though, it’s apparent that she does not care for him at all, and she does not plan to pamper him and make him a Prince. All she wanted from Edmund was access to all of his siblings, and when she doesn’t get that, she has no real use for Edmund. Do you think Edmund only liked the White Witch because she appeared to be willing to offer him power? I think Edmund probably feels like he has no power and is not important since there are so many children in his family. 

I thought the most surprising thing in this section was the fact that Father Christmas shows up. I just didn’t expect to see him in that world. I thought it was cool how he represented the weakening of the White Witch’s power, but I was still surprised when he showed up. He gave great gifts, though. How do you think each child is going to use their present from him? Will they all end up going into battle? 

At the end of the section, signs of Spring are popping up everywhere. And, the Witch is clearly worrying about her powers weakening. She does not want to hear about Aslan, and she is seeming even more cruel than before. I can’t believe how quickly Spring started to pop up. Do you think it’s all because of Aslan, or do you think the fact that all of the Pevensie children are there contributed as well? 

What was your favorite part of this section? Do you have any thoughts about what will happen at the end? 

Did you know that this book has a stage adaptation? Don’t you think it would be really cool to see the action play out on stage? If you’re curious about how Aslan is depicted, check out this video about the touring production of the show. 

Finally, check out these cool sculptures inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia! Would you travel to England to see them? 

I hope you enjoyed this section and are excited to read the ending! I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments section!

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. 

Did you love reading the beginning of this book this week? I think one of the best things about this book is that as soon as you begin reading it, you are immediately transported into a new world. I feel like, with some books, it takes a while for the action to start or to feel comfortable in the setting. But, with this book, I felt at home right away. Which character were you drawn to at the beginning? I think Lucy is the most easy to love since she is mentioned most often. I do feel a soft spot for Mr. Tumnus, even though he starts this chapter by contemplating turning Lucy in to the White Witch. 

Did you notice at the beginning of the book that C.S. Lewis dedicated the book to someone named Lucy Barfield? And, he wrote a little letter to her, too? Lucy Barfield was the daughter of one of Lewis’s friends, and she served as the muse for the book. If you’d like to read more about her check out this article. 

The Professor’s house features heavily in the first section of the book, and when I was reading the descriptions of the rooms, I wondered if that house bore any resemblance to Lewis’s personal home. Check out this website, if you’d like to see the outside of the house, and check out this blog post, if you’d like to read more about the interior and the tour experience. Do you think there are similarities between the Professor’s house and Lewis’s house? 

Near the end of this section, Edmund finds his way to Narnia, after teasing Lucy and not believing that she had been anywhere other than the inside of wardrobe, and he immediately comes in contact with the White Witch. She immediately wins his trust by giving him food and drink, and she wants him to bring back his siblings. At this point, we don’t really know why the White Witch wants to have any Daughters of Eve or Sons of Adam, but since she has everyone out looking for boys and girls, we know that she must have some plan for them. Why do you think she is so interested? Do you think she would really want Edmund to become the Prince of Narnia? She mentions that to him at the end of their conversation. 

Were you surprised that Edmund was so quick to believe what the White Witch had to say? When Lucy described the White Witch’s actions, Edmund immediately dismisses them and believes what the White Witch has told him. Why do you think he does that instead of believe what his sister, a person he has known a lot longer, has to say? 

At the end of this section, all of the children make it to Narnia and realize that Mr. Tumnus has been arrested, and his house has been ransacked. He is accused of harboring spies and fraternizing with human beings. Instead of leaving when they see this horrible mess, the children decide to stay in Narnia and help Mr. Tumnus. At the end of the section, they are lost and hungry–do you think they will make it to Mr. Tumnus? Will they get help in the woods? 

Did any other details stick out to you in this section? Are you excited to read more? 

If you’d like to hear about the movie version from the actors that were in the movie, check out the video clip below. I always think it’s interesting to hear what actors say about the parts they play. 

I hope you enjoyed the section this week, and I hope you’ll join us again next week as we read the next six chapters. Make sure to leave a comment to let me know how you enjoyed the first chapters. 

Welcome to January’s Online Book Club. This month, we’re reading the The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.

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 Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is a story about four siblings who find a portal to another world called Narnia. The siblings must fight against an evil White Witch who is keeping Narnia frozen in a never-ending winter. The only hope is to band with Aslan, the Great Lion, but no one is sure if he is strong enough to fight against the White Witch’s evil magic. 

If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the 2005 movie version. 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.