Welcome to December’s Online Book Club. This month, we’re reading A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman.
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.
A Man Called Ove is about a man named Ove who is known as a curmudgeon with unflinching opinions about the world. He struggles to connect with his neighbors until a set of chatty new neighbors moves in next door. The neighbors shake up Ove’s life, bringing chaos, friendship, and a cat into his world.
If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the A Man Called Ove movie. Check out the trailer above if you want to get a feel for how the story plays out on the screen. 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 the first thirteen 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 Online Book Club discussion of Ella Enchanted.
Did you enjoy the ending of the book? I loved how the story was so exciting and adventurous! The story just flew by because there was so much action. I definitely enjoyed the reading experience this month.
At the beginning of this section, Ella makes it to the wedding. I really wasn’t sure that she was going to be able to get there. I wasn’t sure if she was going to be able to convince Lucinda to reverse the curse, but I definitely didn’t think that she would leave her conversation with Lucinda feeling blessed to be obedient. Could you believe that Lucinda made Ella be happy about having to be obedient? What did you think of the gift that Lucinda gave the bride and groom? She really doesn’t understand giving gifts to people. I can’t understand how she really believes her gifts help others. Can you imagine being forced to be with your significant other for every single moment of the rest of your life. That would be incredibly overwhelming.
Ella’s father inadvertently took advantage of Lucinda’s commandment to be grateful for being obedient when he introduced Ella to her potential suitor. Of course, he didn’t know that Ella had to be obedient, but he definitely benefitted from it. Ella really embarrassed herself when she kept overtly flirting with that first suitor. Didn’t you internally cringe when she was so forward? I was so relieved when Mandy told Ella she didn’t have to be glad about the curse. And, I was really glad that her dad decided to not pursue an engagement with the suitor.
Were you surprised when Dame Olga and Ella’s dad got engaged? I think that was definitely foreshadowed throughout the book. And, since this is a Cinderella-type story, it made sense for the story to take that turn. I liked that Lucinda gave them an annoying gift. I wasn’t really sure how it would affect the pair to have eternal love. It didn’t seem to affect the way Ella’s dad conducted business. He definitely still traveled, even though they were pledged to each other forever. Dame Olga sure wasn’t very happy when she found out that Ella’s family had no money. That gave her the ammunition she needed to put Ella to work. Don’t you think she would have made Ella work regardless of her money situation? I don’t really see her welcoming Ella into her family. Ella was too different than Dame Olga’s daughters.
Did you enjoy Char and Ella’s letters? I thought it was nice that they were able to stay connected to each other through their correspondence. Did you agree with her reasoning when she wrote the fake letter that said she was married? I understood that she thought she would put the kingdom at risk, but it still made me sad. I wished there was another way for her to tell Char she couldn’t marry him without being so cruel and false. His diary entry after he found out about Ella’s “marriage” was really sad.
What did you think of the ball scenes? I was glad that she got another chance with Char, but I thought it was a little cruel that she would attempt to see him again since she didn’t have a plan for how they could be together. She was playing pretty fast and loose with his emotions, in my opinion. I was glad that the scenes were a little different than the original Cinderella story–it was interesting that Hattie ripped off her mask and exposed her.
Do you think the way she got out of the curse was realistic? It was nice that she broke the curse herself and didn’t depend on a fairy godmother or a prince to save her. It was nice that she got a happy ending since she had been so unhappy throughout the book.
I hope you enjoyed reading this book this month! If you liked this book, check out this list I made that has similar titles. Make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list.
Before you go, make sure you check out this link Gail Carson Levine posted on her website. It shows pictures of her house–I think I could write stories, too, if I lived in a house this beautiful! And, check out this article that talks about the importance of Ella Enchanted for young readers.
Thanks for following along with us this month! Make sure to leave a comment to let me know what you thought of the book. And, make sure to join us again next month as we read A Man Called Ove. I look forward to hearing from you in the comments section!
Are you enjoying reading something lighter this month? I am really liking all of the fairy tale elements in this book. I really enjoy reading fairy tales, and stories like these definitely make me feel nostalgic for books I enjoyed when I was younger. I read on her website, that author, Gail Carson Levine was inspired to write her own fairy tale after enjoying Beauty by Robin McKinley. I’ve never read that book, but I might check it out since I am enjoying Ella Enchanted so much! I really encourage you to read this short little article Levine wrote about how she came up with the concept for the book. It’s really interesting.
Could you imagine having Ella’s curse? It is so incredibly dangerous! When I first read about the curse, I didn’t really realize all of the implications, but the more I thought about it, the more I understood the dangers. Ella could be commanded to commit murder or to do any number of illegal deeds. Or, she could even be commanded to harm herself. Could you believe that Lucinda couldn’t understand the dangers when Mandy and Ella’s mother were begging her to reverse the curse?
I was so surprised and sad when Ella’s mother passed away. Were you surprised that the unicorn hairs were that important to that soup Mandy made? It was frustrating that the mother’s death was so avoidable.
What do you think of the characters we’ve been introduced to so far? Char and Mandy are my favorite. Char was so kind to Ella, right from the very beginning. He didn’t act like a royal at all–he was very approachable. And, I liked how he gave her gifts and was impressed by her ability to imitate the sounds of the ogres. I guessed that Mandy was the fairy godmother since she could make a healing soup with unicorn hairs. Did you guess that as well? I liked how she had Ella’s best interests at heart throughout the entire first section. It was nice that Ella had someone to rely on since her dad was such a jerk. I definitely don’t like Dame Olga and her daughters. Hattie is really dangerous since she knows that Ella obeys commands. Olive is just a nuisance since it seems like she doesn’t have any sense, but I still didn’t like her.
I would like to get my hands on a magical book like the one Mandy gave to Ella. Not only did it have really great stories, but also, it allowed Ella to see secret thoughts and letters from other people. That would be so interesting. And, I love the idea of a book that keeps growing, so you never run out of reading material. Do you think you’d like access to a book like that? Would you like getting to see other people’s letters and diary entries, or would you feel too guilty for violating their privacy?
I was really glad when Elle left finishing school. I just hated how Hattie kept ordering her around, and I hated how she had to be so mindful of every single movement she made throughout her duration. It was exhausting to keep up with all of the commands that people kept saying to Ella. I was glad she made a friend, but I knew that finishing school wouldn’t be great for her.
This section ends with Ella leaving the ogres. I was glad that she was the one who figured out a way to talk to the ogres and convince them not to eat her. Char and his men definitely helped her actually get away from the ogres, but Ella did a lot of the hard work herself. It’s nice that she isn’t a typical fairy tale princess who just depends on others to fix her problems.
Do you think she’ll make it to the wedding? Do you think she’ll find Lucinda? What will happen between her and Char?
If you’d like to get to know author, Gail Carson Levine better, check out this clip below. Answer the questions for yourself as Levine plays the game!
I hope you’re able to finish the book by next week! Make sure to leave me a comment to let me know how you enjoyed this first section. I look forward to hearing from you!
Welcome to November’s Online Book Club discussion. This month, we’re reading Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine.
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.
Ella Enchanted is a story about a girl named Ella who was cursed with unquestioning obedience when she was a baby. Ella must obey any order given to her–even if it would cause her harm. Ella is determined to break the curse and embarks on a quest to save herself. The story is filled with ogres, giants, and a fairy godmother, so it’s really fun and easy to read.
If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the Ella Enchanted movie. Check out the trailer above if you want to get a feel for how the story plays out on the screen. 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 the first fifteen 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.
How did you feel after reading the last chapter? The last section was really somber, wasn’t it? The story didn’t go the way I expected it to at all.
Obviously, Gogol and Moushumi’s relationship is the main focus of this last section. I felt like their relationship changed immediately after they were married. Why do you think that is? I think I first noticed signs of trouble when the pair went to Paris. It seemed like Moushumi didn’t like sharing that part of herself with Gogol–or at least being there made her long for the life she had there before. At least Gogol gets to see interesting things, even though he doesn’t seem to have an overly great time in Paris. He mentions going to The Picasso Museum, and the Luxembourg Gardens, and Musee d’Orsay. Which of those places do you think you’d like to visit? I don’t know if I could choose–they all seem magnificent.
Their relationship also seems incredibly strained when they eat with Astrid and Donald. Gogol seemed so uncomfortable with them, and they are still so connected to her former fiance. When she talks to Astrid and Donald, Moushumi acts like Gogol is not good enough for her. And, she totally betrays him when she tells everyone that he was born Gogol. I felt like she completely crossed the line by sharing that intimate detail about him with everyone.
The chapter about Moushumi’s affair and deception was really heartbreaking. I hated that Gogol had no idea what was going on. I felt like I enjoyed Moushumi as a character, but once she decided to meet Dmitri, I lost all respect for her. Were you surprised that she actually reached out to him? Did you guess that she was capable of such deception? Did you feel incredibly sad for Gogol the whole time you were reading? I think one of the most sad things was that Gogol discovered the deception after deciding to take a trip with her and after buying all of that food and the book. He really was trying, and she completely ruined everything.
In the last chapter, Ashima is putting together the last dinner party she’ll host in her home. She creates so many delicious sounding dishes, and she seemingly does it with ease. If you’d like to create some of the dishes she made, check out this recipe for lamb croquettes or this recipe for lamb korma.
At the end of the book, Gogol is finally willing and able to read the book his father left him. It seems like he finally comes to terms with his namesake and the legacy of his parents. Do you think he’s only able to do that after the death of his father? Don’t you think his father’s death really softened him? Did you wish the book ended with more concrete details about what would happen to Gogol? Do you think he’ll find love again? What do you think will happen with his family?
How did you feel when you finished reading? Were you sad to be finished with the characters? Did the book stick with you once you were finished reading? I definitely found myself thinking about the story a lot after I was finished. The book is just so deep–so many topics to consider. Do you think you might check out more of Jhumpa Lahiri’s work after reading this book? If you’re looking for more books with similar themes, check out this list I created. Please make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list.
Before you go, check out the video below in which Jhumpa Lahiri talks with the director of the movie version, Mira Nair.
Thanks so much for following along with us this month. I can’t wait to hear your final thoughts in the comments section. And, I hope you’ll join us again next month as we read Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine.
Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Namesake.
Did you enjoy this section? I think the language and descriptions in this book force me to read slowly and to savor the story. Did you feel that way while you were reading?
At the very beginning of this section, Gogol legally changes his name. Were you surprised that Gogol had so many thoughts about changing his name? I totally understood his thought that he was overstepping his parents or fixing a mistake they made, even though they gave their permission for him to make the change. Do you think you could change your first name after living with it for over 18 years? I can’t imagine how hard it would be to remember the new name. I think I would accidentally use the wrong signature all the time.
In this section, Gogol has several different relationships. First, he falls in love with Ruth, a girl he meets on the train. He doesn’t really introduce her to his family, and their relationship does not survive her studying abroad. Then, Gogol falls in love with Maxine. He definitely becomes completely entrenched in her family. I thought it was incredibly interesting that he fell into her family routine so quickly. Gogol introduces Maxine to his family, and it seems like they accept her, but everything changes for Gogol once his father dies. At the end of this section, he reunites with Moushumi, and they get serious really quickly. Do you think their relationship moves so quickly because they have so many shared experiences and such similar backgrounds? I was surprised that Gogol agreed to meet with her since the whole meeting was suggested by his mother, but I was glad he did. He seems really happy with Moushumi.
Were you glad that Ashoke finally told Gogol about the origins of his name? I wish he had told Gogol that story when Gogol was younger. I think it would have helped Gogol feel more connected to his family. Originally, when Gogol finds out about the accident, he worries that the name reminds his father of all the bad things that happened during the accident. But, his father assures him that the name reminds him of all of the good that came after the accident. I thought that was really sweet. Do you think you could name a child after a traumatic incident you experienced?
The chapter in which Ashoke died was pretty heartbreaking. It was so sad that he died so far from home, and it was really heartbreaking that Ashima had to learn about his death over the phone. But, I think the hardest parts for me to read were the descriptions of Gogol alone in his father’s apartment. It was just hard to see that his father was in such a temporary space, and I felt like all of his lack of possessions showed that he missed his family. He was so alone when he started to feel bad, and he died so far from everyone. Those pages were so hard to read.
Did Ashima seem like a pitiful character in this section? She seemed like a husk of herself when she had to start living alone. Did you feel like she was really fragile once Ashoke died?
This section ends with Gogol’s new relationship with Moushumi. Do you like them together? Do you think his relationship with her is better that the relationships he had earlier in the book? My favorite detail about their early relationship was the fact that Gogol went back to the store to get her that really expensive hat. Didn’t you think that showed that Gogol was committed to their relationship really quickly? Do you think he would have agreed to meet with Moushumi if his father hadn’t died? I think Ashoke’s death made Gogol more receptive to his family and his heritage.
Are you thinking about watching the movie version starring Kal Penn? If you’re on the fence about watching, check out this article in which Kal Penn explains that he campaigned hard to be in the movie. And, check out this short clip in which the director talks about casting Kal Penn. Finally check out the clip below to hear more about the making of the movie.
Did I leave out anything that you really enjoyed in this section? I hope you’re enjoying the story–make sure to leave me a comment to let me know how your reading experience is going. Try to finish the book before joining us next week!
Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Namesake.
How did you enjoy the first four chapters? There wasn’t a ton of action in this beginning part, but the writing is just so lush. Jhumpa Lahiri is definitely a master of language.
One of the events that stuck out to me the most was the train wreck that completely changed Ashoke’s life. When I first read about the train wreck, I thought that it was a really traumatic story, but I had no idea how the wreck would continue to affect the Ganguli family–especially Gogol. Isn’t it interesting that that kind of traumatic event served as inspiration for the name of a baby?
Could you believe that the letter that was supposed to come and provide a name for Gogol never showed up? I love the idea of a family member providing a name for a baby. That feels like a really special and meaningful tradition. But, I don’t think I would be able to give up complete control for the naming of a baby. Do you think you could hand over the reigns and let someone else provide the name for one of your children? Does your family have any interesting naming traditions?
I thought the idea of a pet name was really interesting, too. I think it’s really cool that pet names are more personal and intimate than the “good name.” The pet name is like a nickname, but it seems to have more significance.
It was interesting how Gogol started off as a temporary name, but it increasingly got more permanent. Once he got a passport with the name Gogol on it, I felt like it was going to be the name that stuck with him throughout his life. Wasn’t it so sad that Gogol had to get a passport because they needed to go back to India because Ashima’s dad died? I can’t imagine how hard it was to deal with a death of a parent who lived across the globe.
What did you think of the scene when Gogol first goes to school? I thought the principal was really condescending towards the Gangulis. Did you feel that way? I felt sorry for Gogol since he was scared to have a new name, but I thought it was a little weird that the principal completely disregarded what Gogol’s parents wanted. I didn’t like how she acted like she knew better. It’s interesting that Gogol regretted the fact that he didn’t change his name when he first went to school.
Near the end of this section, Ashoke tries to bond with Gogol by presenting him The Short Stories of Nikolai Gogol. He tries to explain why the book was so important to him, but Gogol is not interested in bonding over the book. All Gogol can think about is how much he dislikes his name. Did you find that scene really sad? Did you just want to shake Gogol so that he tries to understand his father?
Did any other scenes really jump out to you? How do you think Gogol will change now that he’s off to college? Do you think he will come to appreciate his family and his name more in this next section?
Before you go, check out this article from Book Riot that explains the importance of seeing ones own culture represented in literature. And, if you’re feeling like cooking after reading the mouth-watering descriptions of food throughout the first section, try this recipe for samosas.
And, don’t forget to check out the interview with Jhumpa Lahiri below!
Make sure to leave a comment below to tell me what you thought of this section. Don’t forget to read the next four chapters before joining us next week.
Welcome to November’s Online Book Club discussion. This month, we’re reading The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri.
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 Namesake follows Gogol Ganguli, a first-generation immigrant who struggles throughout the book to reconcile his Indian heritage with his American identity. Gogol attempts to create his own path in America, even though he feels stuck between two distinct, conflicting cultures.
If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch The Namesake movie. Check out the trailer above if you want to get a feel for how the story plays out on the screen. 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 the first four 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.
How did you feel about the ending? Were you satisfied? Did you want more details or a more definitive conclusion? I liked the epilogue. That definitely helped me feel a little bit more closure.
At first, at the beginning of the section, it seems like Natasha’s lawyer is going to be able to fix everything. I was so disappointed by the lawyer in the end. He seemed so good, but then, he misses the court appointment because he was having an affair with his secretary. It was such a letdown. If he had done everything he could have and just not been able to stop it, that would have been one thing, but he didn’t even try. I hated reading that part. Were you surprised that he was the person Daniel was meeting with? Their meeting definitely didn’t go well, but I never expected that Daniel would really put forth the effort to get into Yale.
Throughout the entire book, Charlie was not a great brother. He was demeaning and rude and unpleasant. But, he did end up giving Natasha Daniel’s phone number. Did that redeem Charlie for you at all? In the last chapter, Nicola Yoon writes that Charlie gets his life together and graduates from college; however, he doesn’t reconnect with his family. I kind of hoped that Charlie and Daniel would learn to respect each other, and they would get closer. But, it doesn’t appear like that happened.
In his last chapter, Natasha’s dad hints that he might have told the cop about his illegal status on purpose. He was so disappointed about the American audience’s reaction to A Raisin in the Sun, and he felt like America was telling him that it was done with him. What do you think? Do you think he wanted to be sent home? Do you think if he was sent back to Jamaica instead of going back by choice it showed that he didn’t fail?
Natasha and her dad finally have a chance to hash out their differences before they get on the plane. I think it was important for Natasha to finally tell her dad that he wasn’t allowed to regret the life they had together. Wasn’t that a powerful scene? I’m glad they got to have some sort of closure before they left New York.
Do you think the questions and forced eye contact made Natasha and Daniel fall in love? Do you think the questions allowed them to be open and vulnerable with each other? Do you believe the epilogue that Daniel and Natasha eventually made their way back to each other? It’s nice to imagine that they did.
Did I miss any of your favorite parts in this section? Would you have ended the book differently? Was there anything else you would have changed?
I hope you enjoyed reading along with us this month! If you enjoyed this book, please check out the list I created that has similar titles.
Before you go, make sure you check out the video below about the movie version cast and crew! And, check out this article in which the actor who plays Daniel explains why the role was so important to him.
I hope you’ll join us again next month as we read The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. I hope to hear from you in the comments section!
How did you enjoy this section? Did you feel like it was pretty non-stop action throughout the entire section? Natasha and Daniel are sure doing a lot of things in one afternoon!
Were you surprised at all that Daniel rescheduled his interview? I definitely wasn’t. I wasn’t surprised that he stuck around to wait for Natasha, either. I knew he couldn’t let her get away. Do you think there’s any significance to the fact that both Daniel and Natasha are scheduled to have appointments in the same building? That has to be more than just a coincidence, right?
Do you think the encounter between Natasha and Daniel’s family could have been more awkward and uncomfortable? It was pretty awful. I couldn’t believe how Charlie was such a jerk, and I was so uncomfortable when Daniel’s dad offered Natasha hair relaxer. Natasha was really kind about Daniel’s dad, even though she had every right to be offended. Who did you feel the worst for during this exchange–Daniel or Natasha? I’m sure Daniel was mortified. Did you enjoy the historical tidbits about hair that framed the chapter in Daniel’s family’s store? I liked the context that those chapters provided.
When Daniel and Natasha go to get Korean food, the waitress makes a demeaning comment to Daniel and tells him to teach his girlfriend how to use chopsticks. Natasha handles it gracefully and isn’t offended, but I still thought it was an unkind comment. I liked how Nicola Yoon had a chapter after that restaurant scene to explain why the waitress made the comment. It still wasn’t appropriate for her to say, but I was able to understand the context and why the woman would want to say it after reading her chapter.
After the karaoke scene, it seems like Daniel and Natasha are meant to be. But then, Natasha finally tells Daniel that she is an undocumented immigrant and is able to be deported. Were you surprised that it took her so long to tell him the truth? Daniel takes the news about as well as I would expect him to take it. I don’t blame him for feeling betrayed, especially since he postponed his meeting for her, but then again, he made that decision by himself. She didn’t force him to do that. And, she didn’t promise him anything–Daniel definitely is letting his emotions run wild by deciding that they could be together forever after only spending a couple of hours together.
At the end of this section, Natasha explains to the lawyer how her father confessed to a police officer about being an undocumented immigrant, and Daniel and Charlie get into a fist fight. I wasn’t surprised by the fight between Daniel and Charlie, but I was definitely surprised that Natasha’s father was the one who confessed their status to the police. It was really sad to read the conversation between Natasha’s parents. It was really sad that she had to hear her father say that he had given up his whole life and all of his dreams to be with the family. I imagine she felt so betrayed and unwanted when she heard that.
We don’t get any closure about Natasha’s family or Daniel by the end of this section. Do you think the lawyer will have good news for Natasha? Do you think she has a chance to stay in America? Do you think she and Daniel will find each other again?
Natasha is such a compelling and realistic character–I have to think that Nicola Yoon is putting a lot of herself in the character. If you want to read more about Nicola Yoon and her Jamaican background, check out this article on Writer’s Digest. In the article, Yoon discusses We Need Diverse Books, an organization that promotes diversity in publishing and representation in children’s books. Check out their website if you’d like to learn more about the organization.
I’m also including the video below which is a pretty long video interview in which Yoon discusses the book. I really liked how she talked about the time tables she had to make to ensure that the characters could really do all the things they did in one day!
I hope you’re able to finish the book by next week! Make sure to leave a comment to let me know what you enjoyed about this section!