Welcome to Week 1 of the Online Book Club discussion of Kindred by Octavia E. Butler.
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.
Kindred is a time travel historical novel in which a woman living in the 1970s gets pulled backwards in time to the antebellum South. Dana, the modern woman, is summoned to this time period to save the son of a plantation owner, and after this first time travel, she is pulled back again and again against her will. Each journey back in time is more dangerous than the last, and soon, Dana doesn’t know if she will survive long enough to make it back to her regular life.
If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the television adaptation which runs on Hulu. Make sure to put a hold on one of our Roku sticks to catch the series if you don’t have Hulu at home. Check out the trailer above for the television adaptation 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 series and not reading the book.
We’ll read through the section entitled, “The Fall,” so make sure to check those out before reading the next blog post. I look forward to hearing from you in the comments!
Did the story finish like you thought it would? I was shocked by the ending. I didn’t see that coming at all.
I was very surprised when Cassie was taken. I was glad that her kidnapping showed that Magnus wasn’t guilty, but I didn’t like it as a plot point. I was so nervous that something terrible was going to happen to her. I can’t imagine how scared Fran was during that time.
What do you think of Magnus by the end of the story? I was really sad for him, but I was angry that he participated in any part of Catriona’s disappearance. I think he wasn’t able to fully comprehend his actions, but still, it was sad that he buried her without telling anyone about it. I can’t believe his mom put him in that position. What do you think will happen to Magnus after the book is finished? I don’t know if the townspeople will really warm up to him, especially since he did participate in Catriona’s death and disappearance.
Were you surprised that Robert didn’t end up having anything to do with Catherine’s death? I really thought he was the murderer,especially when Cassie was found in his car. And, when we found out that Robert slapped Catherine and she filmed it–I thought for sure that showed that he had motive to kill her. I was really surprised.
What do you think about the fact that much of the story is told from Sally’s perspective, even though she was the murderer? I don’t know if I’ve ever read a mystery book where the murderer is one of the narrators? I just had no idea that Sally was involved at all. I didn’t suspect her at all. I felt like there were so many suspicious men throughout the entire story. What do you think of Sally’s story that she killed Catherine to protect Robert? I guess I understand that she was really infatuated with Robert, and she was glad that he was giving her so much attention, but it was just wild that she thought she needed to protect him by killing her friend. Sally really showed her true colors at the end when she was sad that she was going to miss out on seeing everyone’s reactions to her being the murderer. She was really deranged. How do you think her parents will be treated once Sally goes to prison? I already think her mom didn’t have a lot of fans, so I’m guessing people won’t be super mind to them.
Do you think Fran and Perez are going to continue to see each other? I felt like they had a spark, especially at the end of the book. It seems like he is going to stay on the island, so I think they will continue to run into each other.
What did you think of the book? I thought it was a really great mystery, and I really enjoyed reading it. I can understand why it won some awards. If you enjoyed this book and would like to read or watch similar things, 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 the video below! Let me know if you found anything interesting in the video!
Thanks for following along this month! Don’t forget to leave all of your thoughts about the book in the comments section. I hope you’ll join us again next month as we read Kindred by Octavia E. Butler.
Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of Raven Black.
Did you enjoy this second section? Do you feel like you have a better handle on the mystery? I am so anxious to find out what happend to Catherine. I feel like Catherine’s documentary might be the key to understanding who has a motive to kill her, but I’m still not sure. Do you think the video she’s making will provide some answers?
Who did you think was the most suspicious person in this section? I still think Robert could be the murderer. I think he’s using Sally to find out information about Catherine. And, it seems like Robert and Catherine were together at Duncan’s party, so I think that might be important. I think Mr. Scott, the teacher, became less of a suspect for me. I think he’s just a lonely man who made some poor choices. What do you think of Sally’s father? I think he became a bit of a suspect in this section. He seemed to be intrigued by Catherine, so I think maybe he could have been involved with her. Sally’s parents don’t seem to be happy with each other, either, so that could show that he was lonely and looked for love in the wrong place.
What do you think of Catherine? I don’t think she’s a very likeable character. I think her documentary was going to be a really unflattering to everyone in the town. I understand that she felt like an outsider, but I don’t like that she was trying to only show explosive things about the people.
I think Magnus is hiding something, but I don’t think he is the murderer. Were you surprised when they found Catriona’s body? I don’t think they ever would have found the body if Fran had not gotten a dog for protection. I know it’s really suspicious that Magus admitted to taking her ribbons after she was dead, but I really don’t think he killed her. What do you think about him being in prison? Do you think the police made the right decision to put him there?
I’m really worried about Euan, Catherine’s dad. He seems determined to find a reason why Catherine was killed, and I think he’s desperate to find out if he could have prevented her death. I don’t think he seems well in some of the interactions he has with Fran. Hopefully, he gets some answers about Catherine and is able to heal.
Where do you think Catherine’s movie went? Do you think the murderer took it, or do you think it’s hidden somewhere? I hope they can find it because I do think it will provide some answers.
Do you have any guess about the end of the book? How do you think the whole book will wrap up?
Before you go, check out the video below in which the star of the Shetland tv series talks about Scottish slang. Had you heard any of these words before?
Thanks for following along this week! Make sure to leave your thoughts in the comments and don’t forget to finish the book before coming back next week.
Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of Raven Black.
How was the reading for you this week? Are you enjoying the beginning of the book? I was drawn into the story from the very beginning. I’ve been intrigued by the mystery since the first chapters.
Did you know much about the Shetland Islands before starting this book? I didn’t have any familiarity with them, so I had a bit of a hard time picturing the setting of the story. If you’re interested to learn more, check out Shetland’s official website to see some pictures of the landscapes and to learn more about local history and traditions.
What do you think of the main characters? There’s Sally who was Catherine’s closest friend, and then there’s Fran, who found Catherine’s body, and Jimmy Perez, the detective. I feel sorry for Sally because she doesn’t really seem like she fits in. She was never popular at school until Catherine was murdered and people thought that was interesting. And, it seems like she doesn’t have very friendly parents. At least, her mom doesn’t seem that kind. Fran seems kind, but she’s an outsider, too. I felt so sorry for her that she was the one to find Catherine’s body. I can’t imagine how horrible it would be to find something like that. Inspector Perez seems like a really good police officer, and I appreciate that he is commited to investigating and not just locking up Magnus because he’s weird. What do you think of Magnus? Do you think he’s just a misunderstood man, or do you think he’s dangerous? I thought it was weird that Sally and Catherine spent time with him. I couldn’t tell if they were making fun of him or not.
What do you think of the old murder of Catriona? Do you have any ideas about what could have happened to her? Do you think Magnus is connected to her crime? It’s odd that Catherine and Catriona lived in the same house. It seems like that’s just a really unfortunate coincidence, but do you think that connection could have lead to Catherine’s murder?
There were some suspicious men in this first section. What do you think of Robert? I’m not sure why Sally is so interested in him. Do you think he’s interested in Sally? I thought when Perez first interviewed Robert that Robert was very cagey, and I got the feeling that he knew more than he was willing to let on. I also thought it was kind of weird that he was an older guy, but he spent time partying with high schoolers. I just don’t trust him. I also didn’t get a good feeling from Mr. Scott, the English teacher. It was super inappropriate that he spent time outside of school with Catherine. And, it was really creepy that he had such deep feelings for her and was willing to act on them. Do you think he’s just a lonely, misguided man, or do you think he’s hiding something more sinister?
Out of all of the people interviewed in his first section, Magnus seemed the most innocent to me. I think he’s really misunderstood, and I don’t think he did anything to hurt Catherine. I hope I’m right in thinking that.
Do you have any idea what’s going to come in the later sections? Do you have any inkling who might have committed the crime? Leave any thoughts you have in the comments!
Want to hear what author, Ann Cleeves has to say about Shetland? Check out the video clip below. I can’t believe all of the beautiful scenery in this video!
Thanks for following along this week! I hope you’ll be able to read the next 16 chapters for next week. I can’t wait to hear all of your thoughts in the comments!
Welcome to Week 1 of the Online Book Club discussion of Raven Black by Ann Cleeves.
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.
Raven Black is a thrilling detective story set on the Shetland Islands. A local teenaged girl is found murdered, and the townspeople immediately suspect a lonely outcast named Magnus. Inspector Jimmy Perez takes the case and commits to investigating all leads, even if they take him to places he didn’t want to go.
If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the series version called Shetland. Check out the trailer above for the television adaptation 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 series and not reading the book.
We’ll read the first 16 chapters for next week, so make sure to check those out before reading the next blog post. I look forward to hearing from you in the comments!
Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of Skipping Christmas.
Did you like the way the book ended? Were you surprised by the twist with Blair? I knew things couldn’t go as smoothly with the cruise as the Kranks imagined.
I really can’t believe that climbing to the top of the house and putting a huge Frosty on the roof was a requirement in the Krank’s neighborhood. It was such a dangerous operation! Didn’t you just cringe the whole time Luther was out on his roof? I just knew he was going to get hurt. He was so lucky that he didn’t die when he fell off the roof! If you want to see how that scene played out in the movie, check out the clip below.
Weren’t you glad when the neighbors finally came through for the Kranks? It seemed, at first, that they were going to make the Kranks suffer for the pain they had caused. I was relieved when they finally came behind the Kranks to make Christmas special for Blair. I just couldn’t believe how rocky everything was for them at first. Getting arrested for stealing a tree, not finding any friends to come to the party, not having any food for the party–it wasn’t smooth sailing for them to change course! Do you think it was fair for Blair to expect a big Christmas from her family? I know her parents never talked to her about their Christmas plans, but still, she had to imagine that they wouldn’t have quite the same Christmas without her at home.
I really enjoyed the very last part where Luther gave the tickets away to the Scheel family. That was incredibly touching and a really appropriate ending. I was glad that the tickets didn’t go to waste, and I was glad the couple was going to have a fun time away from home. I have to confess that I found myself tearing up when I read the final chapter. Did you?
Did you enjoy the book as a whole? Did you feel like it put you in the Christmas spirit? Do you think you would like to read it again next Christmas?
If you enjoyed this book and would like to watch or read something similar, 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 this article about how the Krank’s neighborhood was created for the film. And, check out this video where Jamie Lee Curtis attempts to identify one of her co-stars from the movie, 15 years after it was filmed.
I hope you enjoyed reading this book this month! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts in the comments section! I hope you’ll join us again next month as we read Raven Black by Ann Cleeves.
Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of Skipping Christmas.
How was the reading experience for you this week? I really enjoyed the first part of this book. It’s fun to read a light, silly book after reading darker reads the past two months!
I thought the first chapter was so entertaining. Haven’t we all been where Luther was–forced to go in a busy store, knowing you won’t find what you need. It just cracked me up how he got so wet. There is little worse than having cold, wet feet. Do you think an experience like Luther had would be enough to make you want to skip Christmas?
What do you think about doing a Christmas Caribbean cruise? I never really thought about the fact that people take cruises over the holiday season. If you’re interested in reading about Christmas cruises, check out this link. Where do you think you’d want to travel on Christmas? Do you think you’d want to go somewhere cold or warm?
I think one thing that surprised me the most about this first section was how much other people cared what the Kranks were doing. The neighbors were so upset about the Frosty on the roof, the pastor talked to them about their choices, and their friends felt betrayed. I was so surprised that people cared that much about the fact that Kranks were doing something different. I don’t think I would really care that much if one of my neighbors decided to head out of town for Christmas. Do you think you would care that much about what other people were doing–especially if they were not in your immediate family?
Could you believe how steadfast the Kranks were able to be? They didn’t waver at all. I couldn’t believe that they were able to say no to the police calendar and the firemen. They even said no to the carolers! I can’t believe the Kranks, especially Luther, could continually say no. I definitely would have had a hard time with that.
I think one of my favorite things was the fact that Luther kept going tanning. I just thought it was so funny to imagine him at the tanning salon. It seemed like he was getting really dark. He really commited to be completely opposite of Christmas in all ways!
What do you think is going to happen in the next section? What do you think the neighbors are going to do–it seems like they can’t get over the Frosty betrayal! I don’t think the neighborhood relationships are going to get any better in the next section.
Before you go, check out the video below to get a glimpse into John Grisham’s writing life. And, check out this link if you want to hear about some books that changed Grisham’s life.
We’re only doing one more week of this book since I didn’t want any blog posts to go up over Christmas, so make sure to finish the book for next week! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Welcome to Week 1 of the Online Book Club discussion of Skipping Christmas by John Grisham.
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.
Skipping Christmas is a short book about a couple who decides to skip Christmas after their daughter leaves home. The Kranks decide to use all of the money they would have used on Christmas parties and presents and decorations to buy tickets for a cruise instead. They are really excited about their choice; however, their friends and neighbors are not as enthused, especially when the Kranks don’t participate in the neighborhood Christmas decorating contest. This book will have you laughing out loud as you read about all of the things the Kranks do to have the Christmas of their dreams.
If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the movie version, Christmas With the Kranks, starring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis. Check out the trailer above for the movie adaptation 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 movie and not reading the book.
We’ll read the first 10 chapters for next week, so make sure to finish those before checking out next week’s blog post! I look forward to hearing from you in the comments!
I have to say, I did not anticipate that the book would end the way that it did. Do you agree? I was pretty shocked by the way everything finished.
In therapy, Kamal suggested that Rachel try to reconnect to her lost memories using sensory experiences. She does that with the golf club incident with Tom and realizes that she remembers feelings of fear, not anger when she thinks of that night. Did that memory start to make you feel suspicious of Tom? Did you expect that Tom would be such an evil man? I did think it was suspicious that Tom kept rebuffing Anna every time she tried to tell him how unsafe Rachel made her feel. It seemed weird that he was always so willing to take Rachel’s side.
Throughout this section, Anna also starts to become suspicious of Tom, wondering if he is hiding things from her. What do you think was the last straw for her? I think the fact that she found that extra cell phone changed everything for her. I knew their marriage was in trouble after she found that. Were you surprised that she eventually turned her back on him?
I was glad once Rachel was able to reconnect with the red haired man from the train. It seemed like he was able to shake loose some more memories for her. She’s able to remember that she saw Tom get into a car with a woman, and she remembers that someone hurt her. I thought that once she was able to remember all of that, the story seemed to take a turn. I got really suspicious of Tom at this point. What did you think?
The story got so tense when Rachel tried to convince Anna to leave with her, but then they realize that Tom is watching them talk through the window. Did that part scare you? Tom was just so unhinged. I knew he was going to do something violent, and I was really afraid that someone was going to get killed. I couldn’t believe how callous he was when he was talking about Megan. He didn’t feel any remorse for her death. And, he was so unfeeling towards Rachel, a woman he had once loved. I couldn’t believe how it was so easy for him to knock her out and then talk to Anna like it was a normal day. He definitely showed that he was a psychopath.
What was the most surprising part of the last chapter for you? Was it the fact that Rachel was able to kill Tom or the fact that Anna assisted? I think I was more surprised by Anna. She seemed to devoted to Tom.
Do you think Rachel will take this new chance at life and make the best of it? I really hope she continues to be sober. If Rachel were to appear in a sequel to this book, what do you think she would be up to now? I hope she has a good job and some healthy relationships.
If you enjoyed this book and would like to read or 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 this final video in which author, Paula Hawkins discusses the movie adaptation. Do you think you’ll watch the movie version? Let me know in the comments.
Thanks for following along this month! I hope you enjoyed this book–make sure to leave a comment to let me know if you enjoyed the ending! Next month, we’re reading Skipping Christmas by John Grisham. I hope you’ll join us again for that discussion.
How was the reading experience this week? Do you feel like you know how the book is going to end?
What did you think of the fact that a couple of the chapters in this section were from Anna’s perspective? Did it bother you to have another character added into the mix? I don’t mind books told from multiple perspectives, but I definitely have to take a moment to think about which character I am before starting a chapter. What do you think of Anna? Do you think she’s happy at home? It would definitely be hard to have a person like Rachel in your life. It’s so hard that Rachel keeps calling and showing up to the house. I don’t blame Anna for feeling unsettled.
Didn’t you feel like Rachel made increasingly worse decisions as the section went on? I could not believe that she entered into a romantic entanglement with Scott. That’s just the worst idea. He could be a murderer for all she knows. What do you think of Scott? It seems like he was definitely emotionally abusive to Megan. There seems to be a lot of anger below the surface for him. Do you think it’s a good idea for Rachel to be using Kamal as a therapist? I definitely think it’s a good idea for Rachel to go to a therapist, but what is she thinking by going to Kamal? She just makes such horrible decisions.
What did you think of the revelations about Megan’s past? I was really surprised to read that Megan had had a child and that the child died in an accident. The accident was pretty horrific–it was hard to read about. What did you think about the fact that Megan just buried the child instead of contacting any authorities? I think I felt like I could forgive Megan for the accident, but I had a really hard time feeling like I could forgive her for covering it up afterwards. Did reading about the accident and the cover up change your opinion of Megan? I felt like I already didn’t have a great opinion of Megan, so I’m not sure if my thoughts about her changed at all after reading about her past.
What do you think happened to Rachel the night that Megan disappeared? Do you feel like you know any more about that night after reading this section? I definitely feel like if Rachel were able to remember that night, she might know what happened to Megan. It’s so frustrating to rely on Rachel to provide us with information since she is so unreliable.
Are you anxious to find out what’s going on? Do you find yourself wanting to flip forward to the end of the book to figure out the ending? I hope you’re excited to finish the book for next week.
Before you go, check out the video below to learn more about the movie adaptation!
Thanks for reading along with me this week! I hope you’re able to leave a comment to let me know what you thought of the section. Make sure to finish reading the book before joining us next week!