Tag: Online Book Club

Welcome to the final discussion of Turtles All the Way Down.

What did you think about the ending? Did the story finish up like you thought it would? 

It was really hard to read about Aza’s lowest points. I was glad that she and Daisy were able to be honest with each other, but I was heartbroken by the car crash. It was so sad when Aza’s dad’s phone was shattered. I know that was a really important thing to Aza. I was hoping that Aza was going to get a lot of help after the crash, not thinking how spending time in the hospital would affect her so deeply. What did you think when she drank more hand sanitizer? Do you think her mom would have realized how bad things are if she had not seen that? It was really sad that she felt the need to do that, but I think it actually helped her in the end. 

I’m glad that Daisy and Aza reconciled after the car crash. I think Daisy was finally able to see how hard things were for Aza. And, Aza was able to understand more about Daisy and her problems. 

Did you expect that Davis and Aza would not be able to be a couple? I understood that Aza needed space to work on herself and her mental health. But, I also understood that Davis wanted more from her and wanted to have a more traditional relationship. What do you think will happen to them after the book is finished? Do you think they would ever be able to get back together? Do you think Aza will eventually want to be in a relationship after she becomes more stable? I think the book hints that they will see each other again. 

What did you think of the scene in Pogue’s Run tunnel? Did you expect that they would be able to find Pickett after all? What did you think of the fact that Aza told Davis, but not the police, about her discovery? Were you surprised that Davis and Noah decided to tell the police, even though that meant they would lose their house? I understood that they wanted to have closure. I’m glad that Noah will get the help he needs at his new school. I hope he is able to heal. 

The book ends with Aza still being committed to healing and getting better. I liked that the book showed that she was working at getting better and wasn’t just suddenly cured. I thought that it was a more realistic portrayal of mental health. I’m glad she found medicine that began to help her feel better. 

What were your favorite parts of the book? Would you have changed anything about it? Which character did you feel like you enjoyed reading about the most? Would you recommend the book to someone else? If you liked this book and would like to read and watch similar titles, check out this list I created. Make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list!

Before you go, check out John Green’s thoughts on writing. Do you agree with his ideas about books and the role of a writer? 

Thanks so much for following along this month! I hope you’ll leave a comment to let me know what you thought of the ending. Next month, we’re reading Long Bright River. I hope you’ll join us for that discussion as well!

Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of Turtles All the Way Down.

At the beginning of this section, Davis offers Aza $100,000 not to share the photo she and Daisy took from the security camera. Were you surprised that it was legitimate? Can you even imagine what it would be like to just find huge stacks of money everywhere in your house? Do you think Davis will be able to keep any of the other money he finds in the house, or does that money go towards the tuatara? Daisy sure seemed really excited to be able to have the money. She bought a car and a laptop almost immediately. Do you think she will be able to save any money towards college? Or will she spend it all quickly? 

I had a hard time with Daisy in this section. I thought she was incredibly insensitive towards Aza several times throughout this section, but I think part of it stems from the fact that so much of Aza’s illness takes place in her head, so she is able hid it from others. I know Daisy has no idea how hard it is for Aza to make it through every minute of every day, so she can’t understand how Aza is trying hard to be a good friend, even if it doesn’t look like it. It was really sad when Aza realized that Daisy had written a character into her fan fiction that was modeled after Aza. That was a really cruel thing to do. 

Were you surprised that Aza reacted so strongly and her thoughts went so wild when she and Davis kissed? That made me really sad for her. I couldn’t believe how quickly her mind moved from being excited about being near Davis to worrying about his germs permanently affecting her microbiome. One thing that was really concerning was that Aza started to put hand sanitizer in her mouth to help alleviate her fears about his germs. It’s really dangerous to drink hand sanitizer. I really worry about what she might be doing to her body by picking up this new coping mechanism. 

What did you think of Davis’s blog? Were you surprised that he was comfortable with Aza reading it? It was really personal. I think I would have had a hard time putting those kind of emotions out where everyone could see them. The blog did seem to help bring them together. Do you think you see a future for Aza and Davis? Do you think she’ll end up being honest to him about all that she’s dealing with in her mind? Will they be able to work through that together? 

Do you think Aza and Daisy will have a big fight in the last section? Surely Aza will have to share how much Daisy’s stories hurt her. They seem to be growing apart, so I’m not sure how their friendship will stand at the end of the book. 

How do you think the book will end? Aza can’t keep going like she’s going. Do you think she is going to get help? Do you think the book will end in a positive way? 

Before you go, check out the video below to watch John Green talk about OCD and Indianapolis. What is your favorite part of the video? 

Thanks for following along this week! I hope you’re able to finish the book by next week, and I hope you’ll leave a comment to let me know what you’re thinking about the book so far! 

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of Turtles All the Way Down by John Green. 

Did you enjoy reading the first section? Do you like the characters so far? 

Right from the very beginning, we can see that Aza has some really destructive thought patterns. It was really hard to read her thought spirals, but they seemed incredibly realistic. It was so easy to see how the thoughts piled on top of each other until she was unable to see any reason. She definitely is a different type of OCD character than any I have seen before, and that was an intentional choice by John Green. Check out this article to see why John Green thought it was so important to show OCD in a different light than it is often portrayed. 

I was really nervous when Daisy wanted to use Aza’s prior relationship to Davis as an “in” for the reward money. Davis is a really fragile character, so I really hope that Aza doesn’t hurt him. So many people seem to use him for his money, and I really hope that Aza doesn’t turn out to be one of those people. It seems that she really likes him. She searches his blog and continues to think about him. I hope she will change her mind about trying to get the reward money. 

Had you ever heard of a tuatara before? I had not. They seem like a really crazy animal! Check out the video below to see what tuataras look like in real life! It is absolutely wild to me that Pickett is planning on leaving his entire estate to the care and study of the tuatara. I can’t imagine how that would make Davis feel. 

Were you surprised how much information Daisy and Aza were able to get about the Pickett case. I couldn’t believe when Daisy emailed that journalist and asked for the police report. She definitely scammed him. It’s crazy how easy it is to trick people into doing things they wouldn’t normally do when you’re just interacting online. 

It was really hard to read about Aza’s doctor’s appointments. I just wanted her to open up more and have more trust in the doctor. Even after the doctor helped Aza reason about not having C. diff, Aza was able to think that she knew more than the doctor did. It was hard reading about how obsessive and all-encompassing her thoughts were. What did you think about Aza’s reasoning for not taking her meds? Do you think the medicine would be able to help her if she was able to take it? 

This section ends on kind of a bleak tone. Aza believes that she will not be able to overcome her thoughts. Do you think she will be able to get better? What do you think is going to happen between her and Davis in the next section? Do you really think she will be able to help him find his dad? 

Thanks for following along this week! I hope to hear from you in the comments, and I hope you’ll read the next 8 chapters for next week! 

Welcome to Week 1 of the Online Book Club discussion of Turtles All the Way Down by John Green. 

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.

Turtles All the Way Down tells the story of Aza, a 16 year old girl who is just trying to have a normal high school experience, but she struggles with compulsive thoughts on a daily basis. When a billionaire goes missing in her town, Aza and her best friend attempt to find him and collect the prize money. However, as the pair gets closer and closer to the mystery and the billionaire’s teenaged son, Davis, Aza’s compulsive thoughts continue to get worse in an ever-tightening spiral. 

If you want to follow along with us, but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the show on HBO Max. Don’t have a subscription to HBO Max? No problem! You can request one of the Roku Express 4K+ Streaming Devices at the library. Check out the trailer above if you want to get a feel for the how the story plays out on screen. Feel free to still leave comments on the blog posts, even if you’re only watching the series and not reading the book. 

We’ll read the first 8 chapters for next week, so make sure to read those before checking the next blog post!

Welcome to Week 4 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Tattooist of Auschwitz. 

At the beginning of this section, the guards discover the stash under Lale’s bed, and he is beaten badly in prison. What were the chances that the man he helped earlier in the book would be the one who had to do the beating? That was really lucky. If Jakub hadn’t been the one to beat Lale, I’m sure he would have died. I was really surprised when Lale got his job and room back. Baretski jokes that Lale is like a cat, and he really seems like he was. He survived so many different things during his time in the camps. He did seem to get a lot of special treatment and special opportunities. Lale decides to continue trading and getting extra supplies after being released. Were you surprised that he went back to that? Wouldn’t you think he would be afraid of being killed, especially since he already had one lucky escape? 

I can’t imagine how scary it was to be there when the camps were emptying out. I think it would be hard not to be hopeful that the end was coming, but also, the SS were acting erratically, so I’m sure it was so scary to think what final punishment they could come up with. Gita and her crew end up on one of the death marches, and I really don’t know how anyone was able to survive those. If Gita and the four other friends hadn’t run away, they would not have survived. It was amazing that Gita was able to get to safety and find her brothers. I just can’t believe all that she survived. Lale also had a really lucky escape. I couldn’t believe when he was able to convince that guard that he wasn’t Jewish. And then, he was able to trick the Russians and leave with some jewels. Lale was so smart and had such a will to live. He did so many things to survive. I just can’t imagine how he had to keep thinking and scheming every second of every day. 

What did you think about the ending? I couldn’t believe how Gita and Lale were able to be reunited after the end of the war. There was so much chaos after the war ended–I can’t believe anyone was able to find anyone. It’s incredible that they were able to be together and build a beautiful life together. 

How do you feel about the book and its fictionalized account of the Holocaust? Do you feel like since it’s based on a true person, it should be treated like a historical document? How much creative license do you think an author of a book like this should have? There has been a lot of controversy about Heather Morris’s writing and some things in the book that appear to be inaccurate. If you’d like to read more about the controversy, check out this article. Let me know what you think about the responsibility of an author of this type of book in the comments. 

Did you enjoy reading this book? If you liked this book and would enjoy reading and watching similar titles, check out this list I created. Make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list. 

Check out the video below to learn more about the way the series adaptation was created. What do you think of the fact that the series included Heather Morris as a character? Do you think you would have enjoyed having her impressions in the book? Would you be interested to hear more about the interviews she did with Lale? I wonder if she has released any of that footage. It seems like the recordings haven’t been made public. 

Thanks for reading along with me this month! Make sure to leave a comment to let me know if you enjoyed the book. Our next book is Turtles All the Way Down by John Green. I hope you’ll join our discussion! 

Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

What did you think of this section? One of the most surprising things to me was the fact that the guards at the camp wanted to play a soccer game with the prisoners. It was crazy to imagine that the young guards were looking to have fun and be active, even while working a job that required them to routinely murder people. It was so sickening that ash rained down on the players as they played. I can’t imagine walking around all day with the remains of murdered people falling down everywhere. I really don’t know how anyone was able to keep going. People have such an incredible capability for survival. Another surprising thing was the fact that the SS guards were so superstitious and gave extra things to prisoners that found four leaf clovers. The guards did so many “childish” things at some points, and then at others, they were brutal killing machines. 

Josef Mengele is mentioned in this section. He was known as the “Angel of Death” and did horrible experiments on patients in the camps. If you would like to learn more about him and the terrifying things he did during his time in the camps, check out this article. 

Lale mentions that The Red Cross were coming to the camp to inspect the conditions. He mentions that he did get some extra rations, but Lale is not sure if The Red Cross ever came to the camp at all. According to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum, The Red Cross did not visit any of the death camps. An emissary was sent to the camp, but he was not allowed in the gates. If you want to read more, check out this article from the museum. You can also check out this article to read more about a Red Cross visit to one of the ghettos. It’s so sad that the Nazis were able to fool so many people about the realities of what they were doing. 

One of the striking scenes in this section was when Lale was called to a crematorium to look at the tattooed numbers on two corpses. That scene was disgusting and horrifying and showed the depth of the depravity of the camps and the guards. But, at the end of the scene, Lale yells at Baretski, and Baretski accepts the verbal attack. I just couldn’t imagine their dynamic. On one hand, we see prisoners being murdered for stepping out of line or going to the bathroom, but on the other, Lale is able to scream at Baretski and live. The conditions that the guards and prisoners existed in must have made everyone act abnormally all the time. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to the way the guards react. It seems like they want to be friendly in some instances, but in others, they aren’t bothered at all by the death and destruction all around them. In the last chapter of this section, Baretski even admits that he knows that Lale is trading items on the black market, and he asks Lale to get him something for a girlfriend. It seems like Baretski wouldn’t let Lale do anything against the rules, but he doesn’t seem to care about it. 

What stuck out to you the most from this section? Do you think Baretski is going to continue to give privileges to Lale? Are you anxious for the camp to be liberated? What do you think will happen in the last chapters? 

Before you go, check out the video below to learn about how hair and make up played an important role in the screen adaptation of the book. Can you imagine how emotional it would be to shave your head and lose that part of your identity? 

Thanks for following along this week! I hope you’ll leave a comment to let me know what you thought of this section. Enjoy finishing the book for next week’s discussion!

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

How did you find the reading this week? This is one of those books that it feels weird to say that it’s good or that I’m liking it since the subject matter is so serious and the events are so horrendous. Did you feel that way while reading? I like Lale, and I appreciate his story and his journey, but it’s not enjoyable to read about all of the unimaginable things that happen to him and everyone at the camp. 

One thing that I kept thinking throughout this first section was that people are so brave to attempt to survive in horrific circumstances. Lale, and the people he encounters, are experiencing and seeing things that I can’t even comprehend, but they still try to survive every single day. And, they still try to make connections with each other and even try to find love. I just can’t understand how they can keep going. After his first night in camp, Lale sees two people shot while using the latrine, but he still continues on. I thought that scene was especially disturbing because it proved that even if the prisoners follow all of the directions, they can still be senselessly killed. 

Near the beginning of the book, Lale gets incredibly sick, but the men in his bunk work together to save his life. What did you think of the fact that the men in the bunk were willing to help another person, even though they were suffering? While recovering from his illness, Lale meets the other tattooist and gets the opportunity to take the job. Were you surprised that Lale was first reluctant to take the job? Did you agree with the reasoning that the people were going to be tattooed regardless, so he should take the job to ensure that they are compassionately tattooed? 

Lale gets a lot of perks with his new job. He uses his freedom to help people all throughout the camp. Could you believe all the risks he took throughout the first section? I couldn’t believe once he started hiding jewels. One of the things he is able to do with the supplies he’s trading is get medicine for Gita. Did it surprise you that Lale was able to get so many favors from Baretski? Not only did he help Lale find Gita and learn her name, but also, after she was sick, he got her moved to a lighter work assignment. I was surprised by their dynamic. 

What did you think of Cilka? There’s been some controversy about the portrayal of Cilka in this book and the sequel Morris wrote entitled, Cilka’s Journey. I appreciated what a good friend she was to Gita, and she definitely used her influence in this portrayal to help others. 

What do you think of Gita and Lale’s relationship? It’s interesting how quickly they move in their relationship at the camp, but I guess if your life is constantly on the line, you don’t waste time with a long courtship. Were you surprised at how quickly Lale became enamored with Gita? 

Are you interested to keep reading? Do you think anyone will find out about all of the contraband items he has under his bed? What kind of punishment would he get for that? Do you think he and Gita will be able to keep meeting each other in the next section? 

Before you go, check out this video in which author, Heather Morris, talks about meeting Lale for the first time. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to hear him talk about his experiences. It would have been so emotional and hard to listen to. 

I hope you’ll leave a comment to let me know what you thought of this first section. Make sure to read the next 9 chapters before joining us again next week. 

Welcome to Week 1 of the Online Book Club discussion of the The Tattooist of Auschwitz. 

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 Tattooist of Auschwitz is a historical fiction book that follows the real life story of Holocaust survivor, Lale Sokolov. While imprisoned in Auschwitz, Sokolov worked as a tattooist, putting identification numbers on all of the new prisoners. The story follows Sokolov as he attempts to survive in the camp, and shows how he was able to find hope and even love in the hellish camps. 

If you want to follow along with us, but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the show on Peacock. Don’t have a subscription to Peacock? No problem! You can request one of the Roku Express 4K+ Streaming Devices at the library. Check out the trailer above if you want to get a feel for the how the story plays out on screen. Feel free to still leave comments on the blog posts, even if you’re only watching the series and not reading the book. 

We’ll read the first nine chapters for next week, so make sure to read those before reading the next blog post. I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments. 

Welcome to the final discussion of The Last Thing He Told Me.

Did you enjoy the ending? Did the characters end up where you wanted them to end up? 

At the beginning of the section, it seemed like Hannah and Bailey and Owen would enter witness protection. But, it also seemed like that wasn’t what Owen wanted. I couldn’t believe that Hannah was willing to not do that in order to follow what she believed Owen wanted. I think I would have caved under the pressure. What did you think when Hannah decided that she needed to talk to Nicholas. She was so brave to do that. I don’t think I could have done the same. During the meeting, she tells Nicholas to keep his former colleagues away from her and Bailey, so they can continue living their normal lives. In exchange, Nicholas can have a relationship with Bailey if that’s what she wants to do. But, Owen isn’t part of the deal. He can’t come back home. Did that surprise you? Do you think that’s the deal that Owen would have wanted Hannah to make? Nicholas believes that the last thing Owen would want was to never be able to see Bailey again, but Hannah believes that he would rather that happen than anything threaten Bailey’s safety. Who do you think is right? 

I can’t believe that Hannah was able to decide that she would be able to live without seeing Owen again. It seems like an impossible choice. I can’t believe she was strong enough to pick Bailey over Owen. 

Owen calls Bailey near the end of the book and confirms that he can’t come home again. It was sad that Bailey has to reconcile that loss. But, at least she got to keep her life and her identity. Do you think that Owen would have come home if they had entered witness protection? I don’t think he would have. I think he always knew there was a time that he would have to leave Bailey to keep her safe. 

Do you think Bailey will choose to have a relationship with her mother’s family? I think she will. 

At the very end of the book, Hannah is able to see Owen again. And, she knows that he’s watching, and he knows that Bailey is safe. I liked that the book ended with us knowing that Bailey and Hannah are close now. Hannah definitely deserved that with all that she was willing to do for Bailey. Do you think that Owen will ever be able to make contact with Bailey? I don’t think he ever will. But, I think he has found ways to keep tabs on Bailey. 

Did you like the ending? Are you glad that you read the book? Would you recommend this book to a friend? If you enjoyed this book and would like to read and watch similar titles, check out this list I created. Make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list!

Make sure to check out the video below to hear Jennifer Garner talk about the series adaptation. Do you think you’ll watch the series? 

I hope you enjoyed reading the book this month! I can’t wait to hear all of your thoughts about the ending. Next month, we’re reading The Tattooist of Auschwitz. I hope you’ll join our discussion!

Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Last Thing He Told Me.

Did you enjoy this section? There was so much action! I found myself flying through the chapters!

Did things go the way you thought they would in Austin? It was so surprising that they were able to find out so much information about Owen without much to go on. Which part did you think was most surprising–them finding information about the wedding by visiting that church or them finding information by speaking to the professor? I thought both avenues would be dead ends, but they ended up being surprisingly helpful. It was also interesting that Hannah was able to remember so many details about past inconsistencies that Owen mentioned. I’m not sure that I would have been able to remember all of those small moments because they wouldn’t have seemed that important at the time. Do you think Hannah ever suspected anything about Owen? There were a lot of weird moments with him clamming up about Austin or being recognized as having gone to Roosevelt High in Texas. Do you think some part of her thought he might be hiding something and that’s why she made sure to take note of those incidents? 

Were you surprised when it was revealed that the Owen Hannah married didn’t exist? His record of life didn’t begin until he and Bailey moved to Sausalito. Did you believe that he was hiding illegal activities? Or, did you think that maybe he was hiding a second family? I really didn’t know what to think. All of the flashback chapters made Owen seem so kind and nice. It was just so surprising to think that he wasn’t who he said he was. 

Hannah confides in Grady again, but it’s obvious that she doesn’t trust him completely. Were you surprised when she told Grady about the bag of money? That took a lot of trust. It does seem like Grady is wanting to help Owen. But, why is he working separately from the other investigators? Why does he seem to know so much about Owen when no one else does? 

Were you surprised that Owen had a photograph of a different woman up as his wife? I was really surprised when they found that picture of Katherine Smith and realized that she, not the Olivia lady that was displayed in their home, was Bailey’s mother. When they found that picture, I really wondered if Katherine was still alive and that’s why Owen left town. 

It shouldn’t have been surprising when we learned that Bailey’s name wasn’t really Bailey. It was Kristin.  I should have expected that, but I was surprised. The meeting with Charlie at the bar was really intense. I was scared for Hannah the whole time she was talking to him. 

Were you surprised when we finally realized why Owen changed his name and left for Sausalito? I didn’t expect his secret past to involve the mafia and witness protection. I was glad that it was revealed that Owen was still a nice man, and he wasn’t a murderer or something. It just was so surprising that his father in law was so involved with the mafia. And that Katherine was killed in such a sad way. 

At the end of the section, Bailey runs away and Grady shows up at Hannah’s door. What do you think is going to happen in the last section? Do you think Bailey is in danger? Do you think Owen is going to show up again? Will Bailey be able to have contact with her mother’s side of the family? 

Before you go, check out the video below in which author, Laura Dave, talks about her new book. 

Thanks for following along this week! I hope you’re excited to finish the book. Don’t forget to leave a comment to let me know what you thought of this section!