Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Golden Compass. 

How did you feel about this first section? I was a little nervous when I started reading because I thought the world was going to be confusing. Sometimes, I have a hard time with fantasy books because I have a hard time imagining the worlds in which they take place. But, I was able to adapt to the world in this book pretty quickly. The daemons were the most confusing thing for me. If you’re wanting more information about daemons and what they look like, check out this article on Den of Geek. It has a lot of great pictures of the way the daemons are depicted in the HBO adaptation. 

We’re introduced to a lot of characters in this section. Did you have a hard time keeping everyone straight? Lyra definitely was the most important character we met–what did you think of her? I liked how courageous she was. She wasn’t afraid to climb across the roof or go in the catacombs or hide in the Retiring Room. Lord Asriel was a hard person to get to know. He seemed really important, but I didn’t really get a sense of what he was really like. Mrs. Coulter was a scary character once her true colors were revealed. Who are you looking forward to finding more about in the upcoming chapters? 

What do you think about Dust? I’ll be honest and say that I don’t really have any idea what Dust actually is. It just seems like it’s a feared thing and something that people don’t talk about openly. And, it appears to not be attracted to children. Do you have any more ideas about what Dust could be? 

The Gobblers are terrifying. I hate when there is any violence towards children in books and movies, so the Gobbler parts were hard to read. I hated how they lured the children away from their families, and I hated that I don’t completely understand what the Gobblers want the children for. I just hope that Roger and all of the other children are safe and Lyra can rescue them. 

Did you guess that Mrs. Coulter was someone that Lyra shouldn’t trust? I did since the Gobbler that lured away that boy, Tony, had a golden monkey. I figured that golden monkeys probably aren’t very common daemons, so I guessed that Mrs. Coulter was probably not a very nice lady. I was really relieved when Lyra escaped. When Lyra is captured right after she escaped, did you expect her to be immediately taken back to Mrs. Coulter? I was so relieved when she was rescued by the gyptians. They seem like such awesome people. I’m glad that Lyra has them on her side. 

Near the end of this section, we’re told the secrets of Lyra’s parentage. Were you surprised? Did you expect that twist at all? I was surprised, and a little sad for Lyra. I don’t think I would like to have either of those people as my parents. They don’t seem to really care about Lyra much. 

The alethiometer seems like it will be really important in the upcoming sections, but it’s not exactly clear how it will work and if Lyra will be able to master it. Are you nervous that such a young girl is taking care of such an important item? Do you think she’ll learn how to use it well? 

There was a lot of stuff that happened in this section that I didn’t mention. What was your favorite part? 

I hope you’ll take a couple of minutes to watch the video clip below. It depicts the very beginning of the book when Lord Asriel is discussing dust and Lyra is hiding in the cupboard. I liked getting more of a visual for the scene–let me know if you do, too. 

I hope you’re able to read Part Two before next week. I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments section!

Welcome to March’s Online Book Club. This month, we’re reading The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. 

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 Golden Compass is a fantasy story about a young girl named Lyra who has had a pretty uneventful life until children in her village, including her best friend, get kidnapped by a mysterious group called, “The Gobblers.” After learning more about that mysterious group, Lyra embarks on a dangerous quest to free the children, facing terrifying obstacles along the way. 

If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the series, His Dark Materials, starring Lin Manuel Miranda. Check out the trailer above if you want to get a feel for the series. Feel free to still leave comments on the blog posts, even if you’re only watching the show and not reading the book.

Next week, we’ll be discussing Part 1, the first nine chapters, so make sure to read those before reading the blog post next week. I hope you’ll check back for the blog post, and I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments section.

Welcome to the final discussion of Born A Crime. 

Did you enjoy the end of the book? I think this section was more intense than the others, just because of the whole mess with Abel. 

In the beginning of this section, Noah spends some time talking about Alexandra and “the hood.” I had no idea what Alexandra might look like, but I found this interesting video that shows the shacks of Alexandra and how they jut up to more wealthy areas. Check it out if you’d like to get more of a visual of the area Noah mentions a lot. 

What did you think of the chapter in which Noah describes his pirating business and the money hustles they did? I was completely overwhelmed by all of the details they had to remember on a daily basis. They had so many deals happening at all times–I know I couldn’t keep it all straight. It seemed to me like they were making a lot of money, so I was a little surprised when Noah commented that they were working a lot but not making any money. Did you enjoy his analogy about how, “hustling is to work what surfing the Internet is to reading” (p. 217)? I thought that was a really interesting comparison. 

Noah writes about two different experiences in prison in this section. The first one is a really quick experience and reminds him that he has the opportunity to leave the hood when others don’t. The second one is more intense, and it was very stressful to read about. I was terrified for him the entire time, thinking that he was going to be injured or attacked while in jail. His skill for languages came in handy again, though, when he helped that big, scary, Hulk-like guy talk to the guards. I am seriously so impressed by how great Noah is with languages. That is such a useful skill. What did you think of the crisis Noah had when he looked at all of the prisoners waiting for trial, and he didn’t know which group to sit with? I thought that section was so interesting because Noah is so adept at explaining his thought process about every decision. He had to think so hard about what group would accept him, and it was so helpful to hear his thoughts since they helped me understand the nuances of race in South Africa. I was glad that he had someone there who was willing to tell him that he needed to do whatever possible to not go to jail. I can’t even imagine how his life would be now if the judge had not let him go. Were you surprised that his mother was behind the bail money and the lawyer? I was a little surprised. I guess I should have figured that she would know what was going on with him, but I didn’t. 

The Abel parts were incredibly hard to read. It was heartbreaking the way he treated Noah’s mother, but it was extra heartbreaking to hear how authorities didn’t believe her or take her seriously when she tried to report the abuse. I can’t imagine how powerless she felt. It was really sad reading about their car garage, too, and how it sapped all of his mom’s money. I couldn’t believe they had to eat caterpillars. I hated reading about how Abel treated Noah, too. I can’t imagine how stressful life was, having to always keep an eye on Abel and his moods. 

What did you think when Noah’s mother was shot? I was convinced that she was going to die. Can you believe how miraculous that whole situation was? The bullet trajectory was so perfect, and the fact that Abel’s gun misfired so many times. She was so incredibly lucky. 

I think the saddest thing was finding out at the end that Abel didn’t have to pay for the shooting at all. I can’t believe he was able to get out of jail so quickly and was able to stay in the area. I wonder if Noah’s mother is ever afraid about running into him now. 

So, what did you think of the book as a whole? I really enjoyed it, and I really enjoyed how it helped me learn more about race and Apartheid. It definitely helped me look at Trevor Noah as more than just a television persona. Through this book, he became a real person to me. Did you enjoy that aspect of the book? What did you appreciate the most in his descriptions of race? Do you have any take-aways from the book? 

 Before you go, if you’re interested in actually hearing Trevor Noah talk about his experiences, and if you’d like to see some photographs that weren’t released in the book, check out the video below. 

And, if you enjoyed this title and would like to read some similar books, check out this list I created. Let me know if you check out anything on the list!

Thanks for joining us this month! I hope you’ll read with us again next month as we read The Golden Compass. 

Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of Born A Crime.

Did you enjoy the reading this week? The tone was different this week since the chapters mostly focused on Noah’s relationship to his peers. Did you still like learning about his life, though? 

One of the first things that immediately stuck out to me in this section was the part where Noah describes how the government classified people by race. Did you catch that part where he talked about the pencil test? A government official would stick a pencil in someone’s hair, and if the pencil fell out, they determined that the person was white. If it stayed in the hair, the person was deemed “colored.” Wasn’t that wild? According to Noah, “he [a government clerk] could tick whatever box made sense to him, thereby deciding where you could live, whom you could marry, what jobs and rights and privileges you were allowed” (p. 119). Isn’t that so sad? The whole process was so incredibly arbitrary, but it had such lasting consequences for so many. I thought that whole section was really upsetting. 

Also upsetting in this section was the part where Abel beat up that kid who was mean to Noah. I was completely shocked that Abel would attack a child that way. His brutality definitely showed during that attack, and that scene made me incredibly wary of Abel. If he was willing to act that way towards a stranger, I couldn’t imagine how he would act to his family. 

In this section, there were several chapters about Noah’s relationship with women. When he was 12, he had that disastrous Valentine’s Day where the girl he thought would be his Valentine decided to go out with another boy. Then, there was the part about the girl named Zaheera who Noah could never confess his feelings to, and then, he found out she had had a crush on him all along. And, then, there was the girl, Babiki, who agrees to go to a dance with Noah. That dance date was so awkward to read about. I had a hard time even finishing that chapter. Could you believe he spent so much time with her before realizing that they didn’t speak the same language and couldn’t understand each other? I didn’t expect that was the way their date was going to end. Did you have a hard time reading about these experiences? Did these chapters make you view Noah in a different way? It was interesting to think that he is such a public figure now, but there was a time when he was really awkward. 

Noah also spends a lot of time talking about the ways he made money as a kid. He sold pirated CDs, and he had that food business where people would pay him to run to the front of the food line. What did you think of his money making schemes? Were you impressed by his entrepreneurial spirit? I don’t think I would have thought to do either one of those jobs, so he definitely showed that he was a creative thinker. 

Lastly, the part that stuck out to me the most was the chapter, “Colorblind.” In it, Noah describes being caught on camera shoplifting with is friend, Teddy, but the camera washes out his face, so no one can identify him. Wasn’t that interesting that everyone just looked at the skin tone on camera and didn’t look closely to see that Noah was the accomplice? What do you think that revealed about the authorities? What did you make of that story? 

What did I miss that you enjoyed in this section? What parts stuck out to you the most? 

If you want to read more about Trevor Noah and his thoughts on identity, check out this article. And, make sure you check out the video link below to hear Noah talk about what his mom thinks of his celebrity. 

I hope you’re able to finish the book by next week! I can’t wait to hear what you think of the last section!

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of Born A Crime. 

I loved this section from the very first page. I was totally sucked into the story immediately. Did you feel the same way? The whole being thrown out of a moving car to avoid being killed thing was a pretty exciting way to start the narrative. Do you think you would have had the bravery that Noah’s mother had to throw herself and her child out of a moving car? I think I would probably freeze up in fear. 

Each chapter in this section talked about a different memory or experience in Noah’s life, but the unifying element for each chapter was Noah’s relationship with his mother. In the first chapter, the thing that stood out to me the most was how Noah described the way his mother would run after him. I thought it was really funny when he said that his mother would kick off her high heels without breaking her stride. And, I couldn’t believe that after she stopped being able to catch him, she started calling him a thief, hoping others would help her catch him. I can’t imagine what a sight they were running through the streets yelling at each other. 

I thought it was interesting, also, when Noah noted that his mother said, “My job is to feed your body, feed your spirit, and feed your mind” (p. 71). She definitely showed the desire to feed his mind and spirit by giving him so many books and experiences. I loved at the very end of chapter 5 that she remarked, when people questioned why she would spend so much time teaching a black child about white things, “even if he never leaves the ghetto, he will know that the ghetto is not the world. If that is all I accomplish, I’ve done enough” (p. 74). She really worked so hard to provide so much for him. I was in awe of her throughout this first section. She really made the best of not great circumstances. 

I definitely appreciated how much information about race and culture Noah packed into his own stories. Did you learn anything about Apartheid in this first section? One thing that really stood out to me was the fact that “colored” people were there own designation. It was illegal to be mixed, but it wasn’t illegal to be “colored” if both parents were “colored.” Did you find that interesting? The sections about religion were also very enlightening. Did you catch the part where Noah said that someone could be accused of using witchcraft to kill another person? He explains the concept by saying that if someone is struck by lightning and killed, someone else could be accused of using witchcraft to command the lightning to kill the first person. And later, after Noah goes to the bathroom instead of using the outhouse, his family thinks they have been attacked by a demon after they find his mess in the house. What did you make of those sections? Were you familiar enough with the culture that you already knew those things? 

Language plays a big part in many of Noah’s stories. He says that knowledge of many different languages allowed him to cross boundaries and get out of different situations. That one time, his knowledge of Zulu allowed him to turn the tables on the boys who were planning on mugging him. I didn’t know that there were so many different languages in South Africa–I can imagine that all of those languages can really keep barriers up between people. 

This section ends with Noah reuniting with his father after they drift apart for several years. I was really thankful that they were able to be reunited, and I was glad that it was a good reunion. I feel like I’ve read a lot of books that have really painful interactions with estranged family members, so I was nervous that Noah’s dad wasn’t going to be open or loving. Didn’t you feel tender hearted when you read that his father had kept a scrapbook of all of Noah’s career milestones? I think that was the most special part of that section for me. 

This first section was so jam packed with information and stories that I definitely couldn’t address it all. What favorite parts of yours did I not mention? What stood out to you the most? Are you excited to keep reading? 

If you’re interested to see a glimpse into the home and family Noah talks about in the early chapters, check out this video below in which he goes back to South Africa to interview his grandmother. I loved having a visual of some of the scenes he mentions. I hope you’re able to watch the whole clip. Let me know what you liked best about it!

I hope you enjoyed reading this week and are excited to keep going. Remember to read the second section before joining us again next week! I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments section!

Welcome to February’s Online Book Club. This month, we’re reading Born A Crime by Trevor Noah. 

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.

Born a Crime is the true story of Trevor Noah’s life growing up in South Africa. Through each essay, Noah addresses the topics of race, Apartheid, and poverty, all through a comedic lens. His stories are hilarious, even when Noah is sharing hard truths or talking about important topics. 

If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the documentary, You Laugh But It’s True, about Trevor Noah on Hoopla. Check out the trailer above if you want to get a feel for the documentary. Feel free to still leave comments on the blog posts, even if you’re only watching the movie and not reading the book.

Next week, we’ll be discussing Part 1, the first eight chapters, so make sure to read those before reading the blog post next week. I hope you’ll check back for the blog post, and I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments section.

Welcome to the final discussion of A Man Called Ove. 

Be honest–did you tear up at the end of the book? I was reading at work otherwise I think I would have sobbed openly. What a great ending. 

This section begins with Ove attempting to teach Parvaneh how to drive. She doesn’t start off doing very well, but she is able to pick it up once Ove compliments her intellect. He definitely compliments her in a scary way, but it’s still nice. What did you think of him going after that man behind them that had all of the tattoos on his neck? That was wild. I couldn’t believe that he picked the man up by the collar! I couldn’t believe it! Could you believe that Ove was so threatening and dangerous? 

I really liked learning about why Rune’s BMW bothered Ove so much. It’s interesting how something so simple, like a car, could represent so much. Did you understand why the cars meant so much to Ove? Didn’t it make sense that the car represented hopes and dreams for children and a life they weren’t leading? I thought that whole chapter was so powerful. 

I liked the addition of Adrian and Mirsad. Of course, I was grateful that they knocked on Ove’s door and stopped him from shooting himself. But, I liked them as characters, too. I thought they really helped bring Ove out of his comfort zone. I liked how Adrian’s girl troubles made Ove think about how he was when he first met Sonja, and I liked how Mirsad’s problems with his dad made Ove act more fatherly. I really enjoyed them as characters. 

Jimmy’s story was also a really interesting part of this section. I loved hearing how Rune and Ove worked together to help Jimmy’s mom, and I was definitely surprised when Backman revealed that the little boy they helped was Jimmy. That was really cool. 

But, I definitely loved Ove’s relationship with Parvaneh’s children the most in this section. I loved how he bought the older one an iPad, and I loved how they called him “Grandad” and made him signs when he got out of the hospital. Wasn’t that so incredibly cute? Those interactions definitely made me tear up. 

What did you think about the way the neighborhood banded together to save Rune? I thought it was so neat how everyone had a specific set of skills that helped them take down the council man. From the tech guy to the tow guy to the journalist, everyone had a specific role. I was glad they were able to save Rune, and I was glad they were able to do it without resorting to violence. I was kind of afraid that Ove would attempt to kill the man in the white shirt. 

I was really afraid that Ove was going to be killed by those robbers he stopped. I got really upset thinking that was how the book was going to end. I was so thankful when Ove didn’t die and was able to make more connections with his neighbors. I loved that he got so close to so many people that he ended up having a huge funeral. That was a sweet detail. 

What was your favorite part of this section? Did you enjoy the whole book? Was there any part that you would have changed? Were you satisfied with the ending? 

If you enjoyed the book this month, make sure to check out this list of similar titles that I created. And, check out the video below to get more ideas. 

I hope you enjoyed reading with us this month! Make sure to leave a comment below to let me know your favorite parts! Join us next month as we read Born A Crime by Trevor Noah. 

Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of A Man Called Ove. 

How was your reading experience this week? Did you like the story? I really liked how it progressed this week. I loved getting to know more about Ove and Sonja. Did you enjoy getting to know more about their relationship? 

In the first chapter of this section, we see Ove and Sonja begin to fall in love. He follows her on the train until she tells him it’s time for a date. And, he confesses that he lied about his employment, but she wants to be with him anyway. I really loved Sonja throughout this whole section. She just seems like she was the best. I loved how she loved Ove even though he was prickly. I really liked the scene where Ove met Sonja’s dad. That was a fascinating dinner. I loved how both men tried to talk to each other because they feared Sonja’s wrath. 

What did you think when Parvaneh went into Ove’s kitchen and saw the lowered cabinets and tire marks all over the floor? My heart absolutely sunk because I knew I wasn’t going to like reading about what caused Sonja to have to be in a wheelchair. I hated reading about the accident, and I hated reading about how they lost their baby. But, I did appreciate how I understood more about Ove and his rigidity after reading about the accident. 

Throughout this section, Ove tries to kill himself by going on the train tracks and by taking a bunch of pills. But, he’s interrupted both times. Aren’t you glad that he keeps letting himself get interrupted instead of following through with his plan? I was especially glad, for the sake of the train operator, that he didn’t stay on the train tracks. That would have been horrible for the innocent train operator. 

I feel like this section focused a lot about the past, but some important things happened in the present time line as well. Ove saved that man on the train platform, and now, the newspaper reporter wants to interview Ove about being a hero. And then, he finds the frozen cat in front of his house, and this brings all of the neighbors to Ove’s house. I really liked learning more about Jimmy. Jimmy was so sweet to hold the cat and warm it up, even though he was deathly allergic. At the end of the section, the young man with the bicycle to fix enters into Ove’s life. It’s obvious that Ove is going to end up fixing that bicycle–how else do you think the boy is going to figure into the story? 

To me, the most heartwarming thing that happened in this section was the part where Parvenah’s daughter gives Ove a really colorful drawing. I loved how she drew it so colorfully because, to a three year old, Ove is the funniest person in the world. The part that made me laugh out loud was the part where Ove considers making an electrified dog trap to stop the dog that keeps harassing the cat. I don’t think that’s really why he went to Rune’s house to get the corrugated iron, but I appreciated his ingenuity to imagine he could use the iron for that purpose. 

Did I miss anything that you really enjoyed from this section? What do you think is going to happen at the end? What’s in store for each character? 

Before you go, check out these articles about Fredrik Backman from Publisher’s Weekly. In this one, you can learn more about how Backman came to be published in America, and in this one, you can learn more about his most recent book. 

Finally, check out this video in which Americans try to pronounce Swedish names! It’s pretty interesting. 

I hope you’ll leave a comment to let me know how you’re enjoying the book! And, make sure to finish the book before next week. I can’t wait to discuss it with you!

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of A Man Called Ove. 

Did you enjoy the first part of the book this week? It took me about a chapter to get into the story, but after that, I was totally hooked. I couldn’t stop reading! How did you feel about Ove in the first chapters? He didn’t make an overly great impression in the first chapter, and he definitely isn’t the typical protagonist that I see in books. 

At the beginning, I was a little confused about Ove’s wife. I thought she was probably dead, but he kept describing things he did for her in the present tense, so I wasn’t completely sure. It wasn’t until Backman finally described Ove touching his wife’s headstone that I knew for sure that she was no longer with Ove. Wasn’t that so incredibly heartbreaking when he caressed her headstone and said that he missed her? The tenderness was so different than his typical outward demeanor. I think that scene was the first (of many) scenes that made me a little teary. 

What did you think of Ove’s neighbors who backed into his mailbox with their trailer? They seemed so friendly, but they were completely clueless. I don’t think I would have been able to face Ove again after the fit he threw at them. He was so mean! I couldn’t believe the way he spoke to them. It was really nice that they tried to reach out to him with food after the whole incident. 

I really liked the chapters that gave backstory for Ove. I thought his relationship with his dad was fascinating. I loved how he said he wanted to be “as little unlike his father as possible.” I thought that was really nice. The wallet story was interesting since it showed so much about Ove’s character. I think it really showed why rules and following the rules was so important to him. The Tom character was so horrible. He really was the worst–I couldn’t believe how often he showed up in Ove’s backstory. I was glad when Ove finally punched Tom and got him out of his hair. 

I think my favorite parts of this section were the times when Ove described his wife as being the only color in his life. She sounded like such a beautiful woman, and I loved how Backman described her as being everything colorful that Ove needed. My least favorite part of the section may have been when the authorities let Ove’s family house burn down since it was between jurisdictions. That was horrible. Could you believe they could just stand there and let the house burn down without trying to help at all? 

Were you surprised when Ove attempted suicide the first time? I didn’t see it coming. I had no idea why he kept talking about getting a hook and hanging it correctly. That was unexpected. I was so glad that his neighbors kept interrupting, so he kept pushing his attempts back. I hope he doesn’t succeed by the end of the book. 

What do you think will happen with Ove’s neighbors in the next section? He’s already gotten closer to Parveneh and Patrick since he helped them after Patrick fell off the ladder. Do you think they will continue to put themselves in Ove’s daily life? What about Rune and his wife? He helped Anita with the radiator—do you think he will commit to doing more? What do you think happened with him and Rune anyway? Do you really think they got mad at each other over car models? 

Did I leave anything out that you really enjoyed? Make sure to leave a comment to let me know what you liked best about this section. And, let me know if you have any guesses about what might happen in the next section!

Before you go, check out this video clip in which actor, J.K. Simmons talks about why he wanted to narrate the audio book version of the book!

I hope you’ll join us again next week as we talk about the next thirteen chapters!