Tag: Online Book Club

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Girl on the Train.

How was your reading experience this week? Are you hooked on the story? I definitely felt like I wanted to find out the end of the book as soon as I started reading. I have a hard time being patient while reading books like these! I just want to get to the bottom of the mystery. Do you find yourself wanting to speed read through thrilling books to find out what happens?

What did you think of the two little prologue pieces before the first chapter? They are pretty mysterious and seem to point towards violence. What did you make of those little paragraphs? 

From the very beginning of the book, we understand that Rachel is not a very reliable character, but she’s still the main character and the one through which most of the information of the book is being conveyed. What do you think of books with unreliable narrators? Have you ever read another book with a narrator like Rachel? I find myself getting frustrated with characters like Rachel because I just want them to stop doing so many foolish things. Did you feel that way when you read about some of the things that Rachel was doing? I could not believe that she ended up emailing and deciding to meet Scott by the end of the section. And, I hated how she kept calling Tom. It’s just so hard to read about a character that is falling apart. What did you think Rachel in this first section? 

We also have chapters from the perspective of Megan. Did you have a hard time reading chapters with points of view from different characters? Did you find yourself enjoying the Megan chapters more than you enjoyed the Rachel ones? Or vice versa? What do you think of Megan? Do you think she is a very likeable character? I think it’s hard to read about affairs, so I am having a hard time reading Megan’s sections. 

Do you feel like you really know anything about the mystery so far? We know that Megan is missing. We know that Rachel saw Megan kissing someone who wasn’t her husband. And, we know that something happened with Rachel the night that Megan went missing. Rachel got really drunk, so she doesn’t remember exactly what happened, but we know that Rachel was seen near Megan’s house the night of the disappearance, and Rachel has feelings that she was attacked or something under the overpass. What do you think is going on? Does Rachel have anything to do with Megan’s disappearance? 

Is anything good going to come of Rachel meeting with Scott? I really couldn’t believe that she emailed him. I just think that the meeting will go badly, and I can’t imagine that Rachel will learn anything from Scott. 

Are you excited to read the next section? Do you have any idea what might happen in the next couple of chapters? 

Before you go, check out the video below to hear author, Paula Hawkins, talk about writing. 

Thanks for following along this week! I hope to hear your thoughts on this first section in the comments! And, make sure to read through page 215 before joining us next week!

Welcome to Week 1 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.

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 Girl on the Train is a nail-biting thriller about a woman named Rachel who rides the train every day into the city and watches people in their houses as she travels by. She becomes attached to one couple in particular, creating names and life stories for them to occupy herself on her commute. When the woman Rachel has been watching goes missing, Rachel is determined to help, even though she is an unreliable witness and unsure of what she really knows. You’ll be shocked by all of the twists and turns in this story!

If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the movie version starring Emily Blunt. 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 through page 107 for next week, so make sure to read that section before checking out the next blog post. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Welcome to the final discussion of The Shining by Stephen King. 

How did you like the ending? Did you feel like the book ended the way you wanted it to? Was the last section too scary for you to read? 

I was shocked that Hallorann was actually able to make it to the hotel. He sure was persistent to get there. Could you believe all the things he was willing to do to get there? I couldn’t believe when he got on the snowmobile and was actually able to get up to the hotel. I was sure that he was going to drive off the mountain before he actually made it to Danny. It was sad that Jack attacks Hallorann pretty much as soon as he shows up to the hotel. He was eventually able to be helpful, but it sure looked like he put all of that effort in to coming only to be murdered by Jack. I was glad when Hallorann was able to get back up and help in the fight against Jack. 

I still was a little confused by all of the supernatural experiences in the book. Jack had another supernatural experience in the bar, but he gets a real drink through the experience. And, he gets drunk. He dances with a real person, even though it all seems like a hallucination. I just wasn’t sure what was real and what wasn’t. I didn’t really understand the hotel’s powers and what it was capable of. Apparently, the hotel is so desperate for Danny’s talents that it is stopping them from getting help, and it’s stepping up its attacks on them. At one point, near the end of the book, the hotel seems to come alive and attack them. Did any of those hallucination chapters confuse you? Did you understand the scope of the hotel’s powers? 

I appreciated that Wendy tried to be strong in this section, but she wasn’t really much of a match for Jack. He had almost supernatural strength. I thought they might have a little reprieve from Jack once they locked him in the pantry, but, of course, he was able to get out. I was really nervous once Jack had the roque mallet. It seemed like that was a weapon that could do a lot of damage. What did you think of the fact that Wendy stabbed Jack, but he was still able to run after her with the mallet? It was all so scary to imagine what the scene would really look like. There wasn’t any means of escape. 

I was glad that Jack was able to have a little redemption in the end. Instead of attacking Danny, Jack is able to come to himself enough to let Danny escape. And, he tells Danny to remember how much he loves him. Do you think that little moment will really make a difference for Danny after all of the scary things he saw? Do you think he’ll be able to remember anything good about his dad after this whole ordeal? 

Were you surprised that the boiler was the thing that finally defeated the hotel? I thought there was enough foreshadowing about the boiler exploding, so I wasn’t too surprised when it actually happened. 

What did you think about the new life that Wendy and Danny have? I was relieved that they both seem to be ok, but I can’t imagine that they will be able to have a completely peaceful life. I just can’t imagine getting over all of the trauma they experienced. And, Wendy has so much physical healing to do. She was lucky to be alive, but the road to complete recovery will be really long, I think.

What are your final thoughts? Did you enjoy the reading experience? Do you think you would recommend this book to someone else? What parts will you remember the most? Did you enjoy this book enough to want to read similar titles? Check out this list I created if you’re interested in finding similar books and movies. Make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list!

Finally, check out the video below if you’d like to hear Stephen King talk a little bit about his inspiration for the story. Do you think you’d be able to stay in a hotel where you are the only guest? 

Thanks for following along this month! I hope you enjoyed reading this book with us, and I hope you’ll join us again next month as we read The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments. 

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

There were definitely a lot more scary things in this section, weren’t there? It was almost too much for me to handle! 

Near the beginning of this section, Danny goes into room 217 and encounters the dead woman in the bathroom. I expected whatever to be in room 217 to be a ghost, but once Danny was strangled by real hands, I wasn’t sure what to think. I was really afraid that this experience would throw Danny over the deep end, and he would be comotose for the rest of the novel. I was really surprised that he was able to communicate with his parents and tell them what was going on. 

I was so confused by Jack and his actions throughout the beginning of this section. I just don’t understand why he was trying to provoke everyone when talking about his book idea. Why did he call Mr. Ullman and bother him about the hotel? That accomplished nothing. And, then, he talks with his friend, Al Shockley, and that conversation doesn’t go well either. Do you think these exchanges show Jack’s mental state? Do they point to a mental instability? He seems to be irrationally angry with his family, too. And, unhelpful. What did you think when he decided not to get the snowmobile going, so they could leave the hotel? Why did he throw away the battery? How can he care more about the book and the hotel than his son? I just dislike Jack so much. 

Jack experiences a couple of hallucinations in this section. When cutting the topiaries, he imagines that they are moving and coming after him. Later, he imagines himself in the hotel bar, and it’s hard to understand if he is really experiencing the moment with the bartender. Is he hallucinating, or is there some sort of magic or supernatural force that is allowing him to have these sorts of realistic experiences in the hotel?

Danny also has a horrible experience with the topiaries near the end of this section. They chase him and cause him to fall down, but Jack denies that anything happened. Why does he deny that horrible things are happening to Danny at the hotel? I just can’t believe that he puts the hotel above the good of his family. 

Jack and Wendy’s relationship really deteriorates in this section. Wendy is incredibly suspicious of everything that Jack does, and Jack shows that he’s suspicious of Wendy, too, after Danny tries to explain the incident in room 217 and says, “It was her.” Jack assumes that Wendy hurt Danny in some way. I really don’t think their marriage is going to end very well, regardless of how the season at the hotel goes. I can’t imagine that they are going to be able to stay married. 

Near the end of this section, we realize that “Redrum” that Danny has been seeing is really a door that says “Murder.” He realizes that Tony can’t come to him and help him anymore, so he calls for Hallorann in his head. I was totally shocked that Hallorann actually heard Danny’s call, and I was creeped out that he had a premonition of death. Do you think there’s any way that Hallorann can actually make it back to the hotel before the whole family loses their sanity? Do you think he’ll be able to make any sort of difference for them? He’s only one man, and there are so many seemingly powerful evil influences in the hotel. 

Are you excited to read the end of the book? Do you have any idea what’s going to happen? Are you excited or nervous to finish reading? 

Before you go, check out this clip in which Stephen King talks about several of his movie adaptations. What do you think of his assessment of The Shining movie? 

I hope you’re able to finish the book for next week! I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments!

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

What were your first thoughts about the book this month? Did you feel like the beginning was too scary, or were you able to read right through? I’m glad I get to read the book at the library where it’s busy and well-lit. I don’t think I could read the book at home when it’s dark! I’m a big wimp when it comes to scary books and movies. I get scared very easily!

What do you think of our three main characters? I am not a fan of Jack at all. He’s just not nice, and I don’t trust that he is really mentally sound enough to be in this hotel through the winter. What did you make of his incident while he was teaching? I just can’t picture a teacher acting that way. And, I didn’t feel like Jack felt bad for beating up a student. I think he felt bad that he lost his job, and I think he feels bad that his actions affected his family, but I didn’t think he felt particularly bad for hurting a child. Were you surprised when you read that he had broken Danny’s arm? I wasn’t. I think Jack is an unhinged person, and I’m really nervous what he’s going to do as the winter goes on. 

I was confused about Danny and his abilities throughout this first section. I can’t really understand what he’s able to do. Hallorann explains that Danny has “a shining,” and he’s the shiniest person that’s come through the hotel. But, that didn’t really explain things to me. It seems that he’s able to telepathically interact with people, and he’s able to hear his parents’ thoughts. And, he seems sensitive to spirits. Do you think there’s anything more to his gift? What do you think “Redrum” is? Who do you think Tony is? Why does this invisible friend keep showing Danny such horrible visions? It’s all so hard for me to understand. 

Wendy seems like a normal person, but I don’t think she’ll be able to stand up to Joe if things get out of hand. Do you think Wendy is a weak person? I just worry about them during the winter since they have already had trouble in their marriage.

I did like the idea of the hotel itself. It seemed beautiful. The hotel was modeled after a hotel that Stephen King actually stayed at before writing the book. Check out the hotel’s website or this article if you’d like to learn more about the hotel. Does it look like a place that you would like to stay? I definitely wouldn’t stay in a room that is full of ghosts and spooky things! I thought it was interesting that the hotel had enough food and provisions to help the family last through the winter–do you really think the supplies will last? I also thought it was very interesting that the staff could not wait to leave the hotel to go to their winter destinations. Do you think they were just excited to be done with work, or were they excited to be away from the hotel? What do you think the hotel is like during the summer? Do you think spooky occurances still happen during the season? 

Danny definitely experiences some weird things in this first section. There was the whole part where he is attacked by wasps, even though Jack was sure he had killed them all. And, then, at the end of the section, Danny is convinced that the fire extinguisher hose is moving like a snake. Why are those weird things happening to Danny? What do you think is going to happen next? 

I’m nervous that Jack is becoming obsessed with the hotel after finding the scrapbook in the basement. I think he thinks writing about the hotel will bring him the fame and fortune he lost after being fired from the school. But, I just worry the quest for fame will overtake him, and he will not be kind or patient to his family. I just don’t know how they are all going to get through the winter. 

Do you think the family is going to make it through the winter? Do you think Jack is going to find fulfillment in the hotel, or is he going to continue to struggle? Do you have any guesses about what could happen in the next section? 

If you want to get to know author, Stephen King, better, check out the video below. Have you read any of the books that he has enjoyed? Let me know in the comments below. 

Thanks for reading along this week! Make sure to read through chapter 38 before checking back next week. I look forward to hearing from you in the comments!

Welcome to Week 1 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Shining by Stephen King. 

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 Shining is a story about a family who go to manage a remote inn during the winter. The scenery is idyllic, but once winter sets in, the family is completely alone and isolated in the mountains. Once terrible forces start to show themselves at the inn, the family begins to spiral into chaos. Will they make it through the winter season?

If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you could always watch the movie version starring Jack Nicholson. 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 19 chapters for next week, so make sure to read those before checking the next blog post! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Welcome to the final discussion of The Mysterious Benedict Society. 

Did you enjoy the ending of this book? What parts did you think were the best? I think one of the best parts was the scene where Kate realized that she wasn’t an orphan after all. Weren’t you glad at the end of the scene? Were you surprised? I was glad when everyone was able to get their happily ever after at the end. It was great that Sticky’s parents realized the error of their ways and wanted to be reunited with him. Weren’t you glad, too, when Reynie and Mrs. Perumal were able to be together at the end? I think she will be a great parent for Reynie. Do you think Constance will enjoy living with Mr. Benedict? He seems to be patient with her and appreciates who she is, so that bodes well. 

What did you think about Constance in this section? It was nice to finally realize why she was a part of the team. Could you believe she was able to resist in the Whisperer for so long? She was so brave! What did you think about the fact that she was only 2 years old during the book? I was shocked! I guess that explained why she was so grumpy and sleepy all the time! She definitely definitely displayed toddler tendencies throughout the book, but I just didn’t realize that’s why she was the way that she was. 

I was glad when we finally got to see Mr. Curtain’s plan for the world. He wanted to become the Minister and Secretary of all of the Earth’s Regions (M.A.S.T.E.R), and he’s using the Emergency to scare people, and then he’s using his messages to soothe the people. And, he wants to create an amnesia epidemic and will put people who oppose him in The Institute. Did you expect this to be his plan all along? I definitely thought that he was doing something to make sure that he could take over the world. It made sense that he was causing a panic and then was going to provide a solution. I think people have used that tactic to get power and control many times. 

I think Kate was my favorite part of this last section. She was so brave to climb everywhere, and she was so smart to evade detection! What did you think when she was able to lasso the flag tower and send Constance flying through the air? I could not believe that someone so young was able to do so many things. I guess that was her circus training coming through. 

Did you know that Mr. Curtain’s trigger for his sleeping spells was anger? I was so glad when the kids were able to figure that out and use it for their advantage. I don’t think they would have been able to overthrow Mr. Curtain otherwise. At the end of the book, Mr. Curtain escapes, though, so I’m sure that he is not completely defeated. What do you think he’ll be able to do now since the Whisperer is disabled? I’m sure he will figure out something. 

We assume that Mr. Benedict was able to restore everyone’s memories–what do you think the people thought when their memories were restored? I bet they were incredibly confused by everything that had transpired. 

Are you glad you read this book? If you enjoyed The Mysterious Benedict Society and would like to read similar items, check out this list I created. Make sure to let me know if you checked out anything on the list. 

Before you go, check out the video below if you’d like to see the cast of the series talk about some funny moments on set. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3Zl0DJzxms

I hope you’ll be able to join us again next month as we read The Shining. I can’t wait to hear all of your thoughts in the comments!

Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Mysterious Benedict Society.

Do you feel like you understand more about what’s going on at The Institute after reading this section? At least we understand what messengers do, and we get a brief introduction to the Whispering Gallery.

In this section, Reynie learns that Mr. Curtain hopes to bring about “The Improvement.” He doesn’t specify what that will look like, but he promises to bring happiness to all. He also mentions that he’s going to eventually phase out the Messengers and have Executives. What do you think is going on? Later on in the section, the kids are able to get a look at Mr. Curtain’s journal, and they figure out that Curtain is wanting to gain control–is he wanting control of the whole world? The kids also learn more about his system of “brainsweeping.” I think the idea of brainsweeping is really terrifying. And, it was really sad to me that the long-term side effect of the sweeping was sadness. Could you believe the fact that he thought removing all mirrors would really make sure that no one had their memory triggered? I was first confused about Reynie and Mr. Bloomberg, the man who helped the kids realize that people were getting all of their memories stolen. I thought that Mr. Bloomberg was a character we had met at the beginning of the book, so I kept flipping back and forth to find where he had originally made an appearance. I was glad when Reynie provided the explanation as to how he had known Mr. Bloomberg. What did you think of that part? Did learning about the “brainsweeping” help you understand Milligan better? 

Were you surprised that the kids were able to be so sneaky and were able to read from Mr. Curtain’s journal? I couldn’t believe that they were able to figure out a way to do that. They were sure lucky that Sticky had such a great photographic memory. Can you imagine what it would be like to have that sort of memory? The kids did several sneaky, potentially dangerous things throughout this section. I couldn’t believe when Reynie climbed to look through the gym window, and I couldn’t believe that the kids had the whole cheating scheme to help Kate and Constance get better grades. I was sure they were all going to get in horrible trouble so many times. They were really lucky. Were you nervous for them at all throughout this section? 

At one point, Sticky gets caught cheating and gets sent to the “Waiting Room.” What do you think happened to him there? Why was he so dirty when he came back? That section made me really stressed and sad for Sticky. He was such a nice boy, and I just hated to think that he had been uncomfortable. 

Were you glad when Sticky and Reynie were promoted to Messengers? I was glad to learn more about what was happening at The Institute, but I didn’t like that Reynie and Sticky had to be hooked up to the machine. Were you surprised that Reynie did so much transmitting? Did you understand all that was happening when the kids were transmitting? I kind of thought that Reynie would be able to resist anthing that Mr. Curtain wanted him to do. It was a surprise to me that he transmitted at all. 

Do you have any guesses about what will happen at the end of the book? How are the kids going to get out of the school without being in horrible danger? How are they going to outsmart someone as brilliant as Mr. Curtain? 

Interested to learn more about the author, Trenton Lee Stewart? Check out the video below, then read this article. Doesn’t it seem like he is the perfect person to write stories for children? 

I hope you’re excited to read the next section! Hopefully, the book ends the way you want it to! I’m looking forward to reading your comments about this section!

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Mysterious Benedict Society.

Did you enjoy the beginning of the book? I thought it was such a interesting and engaging start to a story! I was so intrigued about the tests and the children. I definitely wanted to keep reading, so I could know more. 

Throughout this section, we meet four very different children, Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance. Wasn’t it interesting to see how each child responded differently to the tests and challenges? I thought it was interesting to see how they each had such a different approach. Do you think you had a character that you enjoyed reading about the most? I loved Kate and her bucket. I loved how she was able to do so many things with the items she kept in there. Why do you think Constance is so different from everyone else? How do you think she will fit with the team? 

Weren’t you so curious about the tests and their purpose? Everything just seemed so random and not like any test I have ever experienced. Do you think you would have made it across the floor without touching a blue or black square? What about the written test? I definitely don’t think I would have been able to make it through the house without getting lost. Check out the video below to see how the kids navigated the room test in the Disney + adaptation. 

What do you think of Mr. Benedict? I think I don’t really understand what the Emergency is. He explains that people are receiving messages unconsciously, and this is causing a panic, but I don’t really understand all the specifics. Near the end of this first section, we realize that Mr. Benedict and Mr. Curtain at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened are twins. Was that a surprise? Why do you think Mr. Benedict is good, but Mr. Curtain is evil? 

Do you think it was wise that Mr. Benedict sent four children away to be secret agents? I know they know morse code and aren’t supposed to do dangerous things, but still, it’s hard to imagine sending children into a potentially harmful place. What do you think of The Institute? It’s such a weird place. There aren’t a lot of rules, but you can tell that kids are supposed to do things in certains ways. The Messengers seem to have a lot of power, and the classes seem very odd. Do you think the kids have a good plan in place? Do you think it’s wise to want to become Messengers? Will that allow them to figure out all of the secrets of the place? 

What do you think will happen in the next section? Are you excited to get some more answers about all of the mysterious elements? 

Thanks for checking the blog this week! I hope you’ll leave a comment to let me know what you thought of the first section! Make sure to read the next 13 chapters for next week. 

Welcome to Week 1 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. 

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 Mysterious Benedict Society is an adventurous story about four children who are recruited into a secret society. Their mission is to infiltrate a school for gifted children to try to stop an emergency from taking over the world. Can four children really help to save the world? 

When I picked this book for the Online Book club, there was a series version on Disney+. However, it appears to have been taken down. Check the trailer above to see what the series was like and cross your fingers that it shows back up online or in DVD form! 

We’ll read the first 13 chapters for next week, so make sure to read those before checking the next blog post! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts in the comments!