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Tag: Online Book Club

  • Anna Karenina, Week 3

    Welcome to Week 3 of December’s discussion of Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, covering Parts 4 and 5.

    Part 4

    Anna and Karenin are estranged, living in the same household but barely interacting. Karenin is so concerned with the optics of their household and relationship that he is willing to remain married to Anna as long as she and Vronsky don’t humiliate him with making their affair obvious in society and their household staff. Anna disregards Karenin’s wishes and invites Vronsky over to their home when she knows Karenin will be at work, but he returns early and runs into Vronsky.

    An infuriated Karenin decides to proceed with getting a divorce on grounds of infidelity, but his lawyer convinces him to go the easier route that will not involve the church and could end up not going in Karenin’s favor. He sees Anna’s brother Stiva at a party he and Dolly are throwing, alerting Stiva (who is giddy about his new affair with a ballerina) about the divorce.

    What are your opinions of Karenin? Can you understand where he’s coming from, or is his reasoning weak? As I read the novel my opinions about him change, but I’m at the point where I don’t have any empathy for him.  

    Vronsky struggles during a difficult week having to entertain a foreign dignitary, and Anna beings to show her jealousy with him for one of the first times, as she dislikes him being away with other people along with the possibility of being around other women. She is unwell during her pregnancy and announces she’s had a dream where she was told she would die during childbirth.

    Anna’s mood and character begins to obviously change here; we see little charm in her interactions and she makes two references to her own death. Do you think it’s the pregnancy, mental illness, or the stress of her marriage and affair?

    While away, Karenin learns Anna’s given birth to a girl also named Anna and is expected to die of a fever. When they’re reunited at her bedside, Vronsky comes over and Anna begs Karenin to forgive both her and Vronsky, which he does. Vronsky is so upset that he attempts to shoot himself when he returns home, but a servant finds him in time and sends for doctors who help save him. When Anna makes a miraculous recovery she and Vronsky leave together for the countryside.

    As someone who loves reading about drama and is really enjoying this book, even I am starting to get tired of the back-and-forth divorce conversations concerning Anna and Karenin. To me, it’s a big stretch that Karenin is so moved by Anna’s recovery that he once again tells her he’s okay with their affair if she wants to continue seeing Vronsky. I don’t see forgiveness having that big of an impact on these characters. What do you think?

    Lenin and Kitty are reunited at Stiva and Dolly’s party and they still have feelings for each other!! In the midst of the party they begin to play a word game on a chalkboard and it is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated romantic scenes in literature. They open themselves up to be vulnerable with each other explaining their past mistakes and reasoning, ending with Levin again asking Kitty to marry him. She says yes, and fireworks in the shape of hearts burst from our book pages.

    The next morning Levin returns to Kitty’s home to finalize their engagement and alert her parents to the news. He also wants to be honest with her and shares the journals he’s kept, telling her the fact that he is not religious as she is and had not been chaste. While upsetting to Kitty, she forgives him and remains engaged.

    These scenes with Levin and Kitty are some of my favorites in the whole novel. The people around Levin are so happy for him they want to be the one to drive him to Kitty’s home and hear all about it. Kitty has shown how much she’s matured since she and Levin last met, and they’ve formed a quick bond of love and understanding with each other.

    Part 5:

    Anna and Vronsky are living together in the countryside and Anna’s mood appears to be back to normal; she is happy away from Russia and being free to be with Vronsky in public. (Girl, why won’t accept Karenin’s divorce offer and get it over with?!) However, now Vronsky is the one struggling. He seems to be unhappy now that he has everything he’s wanted. He begins painting again, painting a portait of Anna, and she whisks them off to go see a famous painter in the area. When Vronsky sees his work, he abandons his own portrait of her and hires him to do it.

    With Vronsky hating their life in Italy, the two eventually make their way back to St. Petersburg but are not met with open arms from their former friends in society. Anna sneaks into Karenin’s home to see her son on the morning of his birthday, which is possibly the saddest scene in the novel. She and Karenin run into each other, and Anna is left in another downward spiral as she begins to resent her daughter and Vronsky for her life ending up this way.

    Though Vronsky begs her not to go, Anna insists on attending the opera that evening with her elderly aunt. He understands that Anna will be ridiculed if she goes, and that’s exactly what happens. Distraught, Anna pleads to leave again.

    Do you think Anna has parental love for her son? She is brought to tears when she visits him, but she’s also choosing to live away from him by running off with Vronsky and her daughter.

    Levin and Kitty get married and leave for Levin’s home in the countryside. Kitty begins to invest all of her time and effort into housekeeping duties, and Levin begins to show more of himself below the surface with her, becoming agitated and, at times, quick to anger. When he learns of his brother Nikolai being on his deathbed, Levin is annoyed at Kitty’s insistence on traveling with him. However, when they arrive, Levin admires her even more when he sees how kind and selfless she is when taking care of his brother. Levin sees his own personal failings compared to Kitty’s strength, and his love for her grows even more. Which is good, because we find out Kitty is pregnant!

    What I liked about reading these parts were the comparisons between the “honeymoons” of both sets of characters. While Anna and Vronsky aren’t married, they escape to glamorous and luxurious Italy when their relationship is renewed after both survived near-death experiences. Levin and Kitty’s wedding is followed by a trip back to a much more modest and humble home than Kitty is used to, but she instantly takes on the role as the head of the house. While Anna is constantly running away from something, Kitty is taking the next steps to the rest of her life with confidence and with Levin.

    Come back next week when we’ll be around the final third of the book and discussing Parts 6 and 7!

  • Anna Karenina, Week 2

    Welcome to Week 2 of December’s discussion of Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, covering Parts 1, 2, and 3.

    Part 1:

    This novel has two great opening lines. The epigraph pulls from both Deuteronomy and Romans verses “Vengeance is mine. I will repay.” We turn the page to chapter one and are hit with one of the most famous opening lines in all of literature, “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” And BAM! In only 20 words we know we’re in for a bumpy ride.

    Did you already know the story and ending of Anna Karenina before you read it for the first time? No spoilers! It’s one of the most famous stories in the world, but I’m a true believer that a story can still be enjoyed even if its main plot or events have been spoiled through pop culture.

    The novel opens with Anna’s bother Stiva (Stepan) waking up the day after his affair with the family’s governess had been discovered by his wife Dolly. We spend a good deal of time with Stiva, as he’s the character who introduces us to the novel’s second protagonist Levin.

    How do you feel about Tolstoy’s choice to open the novel with Stiva rather than his sister and main protagonist Anna? Do we learn anything about her through learning Stiva?

    Stiva travels to the train station to meet Anna arriving from St. Petersburg, and Count Vronsky is there to meet his mother. On her journey there Anna has been sitting with Count Vronsky’s mother who is enamored with her, and Vronsky is immediately drawn to, and struck by, Anna’s beauty. And so it begins!

    The novel’s other protagonist, Levin, is in for a bumpy ride of his own. Russia is beginning to leave behind some traditions like arranged marriages; Kitty’s mother has difficulty with this but has a preference of Vronsky over Levin, her father prefers Levin. He’s returned to town and is somewhat hesitant to propose to Kitty after hearing she’s been close with Count Vronsky while he’s been away. At Stiva’s encouragement, Levin is more hopeful and goes to meet with Kitty; later arriving at her home to catch her alone and make the proposal… and be turned down. Were you at all shocked Kitty refused the proposal?

    Let’s talk about The Ball Scene. Leading up to the ball, Kitty has just turned down Levin but is excited to meet Vronsky there; so excited that she even tells Anna Karenina to wear a lilac dress to coordinate with her. Anna does not wear lilac, but black!  It’s not the dress, though, that makes Anna irresistible. When Vronsky sees her again the dress is described as merely a frame to highlight her elegance, beauty, and charm. Though he danced with Kitty, Vronsky and Anna make a statement when they danced a waltz and the final dance of the evening together, leaving Kitty without a partner. It’s in this moment of high-drama that Kitty realizes she’s lost Vronsky’s interest to someone she admired and cared deeply for. Later at home with the Oblonsky’s, Kitty claims she has a headache to miss dinner with her parents and Anna, and Anna claims she believes Vronsky will still pursue Kitty. Soon after, she leaves town to return to her husband and son. She looks out at the first train stop and spots Vronsky at the station. He has followed her. (!!!!!)

    In St. Petersburg, Vronsky has the audacity to introduce himself to Anna’s husband and knows she doesn’t love him. At the end of Part 1 we know that this is just the beginning of a long, dramatic love affair.

    Part 2:

    Kitty is down bad in Part 2. She’s depressed and heartbroken over the turn of events that changed her life in a short window of time; rejecting Levin’s proposal and being snubbed by Vronsky for another woman. Stiva makes a visit to Levin and mentions how Kitty has been ill this whole time, and Levin finds a kind of satisfaction in hearing this. Kitty’s family takes her to Germany to stay at a spa to work on her health, and she’s introduced to Madam Stahl and a lovely young woman Varenka. Their kindness and charm eventually inspires Kitty to move beyond her heartbreak and begin to think of doing good deeds for others, but when Kitty’s father visits he makes Kitty realize that Madam Stahl is a vain woman, not a charitable angel.

    It’s at this point in the novel I think Kitty realizes she often acts as she’s expected to by others, or is inspired by others, but doesn’t act as her true self. She’s a young woman who has gone through a fairly traumatic experience and is now able to mature and grow through these experiences.

    In St. Petersburg, Anna’s husband quickly understands something has shifted with her since she returned from Moscow and puts together the pieces that she and Vronsky have feelings for each other, urging Anna to keep some things locked inside and not act on them. Nice try, Karenin! Time jumps forward in this section to a year or so later and we find Anna and Vronsky are now officially Having An Affair. However, Anna is not overjoyed when we find out, she is crying and says she’s lost everything while gaining everything she wanted. How do you feel about Anna in this moment? Do you have any empathy for how she’s feeling?

    At this point, everyone in St. Petersburg knows what’s going on between Anna and Vronsky and society is changing how they treat her. Vronsky buys a new horse, Frou Frou, and is preparing for a race when Anna tells him she’s pregnant and won’t leave her husband to be with him. This racing scene is about as dramatic as Part 1’s scene in the ball, with Vronsky and Frou Frou both agitated and confused, leading to a fall in the race that breaks the horse’s back.  

    During this time, Karenin and Anna are practically living separate lives in separate homes and he sees how Anna reacts during the horse race while not knowing if Vronsky is okay. Anna finally admits she loves Vronsky and hates Karenin, whose reaction is repression and methodical, telling her to keep up appearances.

    Part 3:

    Levin works hard in the countryside to work through life’s troubles, as labor makes him feel like he’s a part of something greater with a feeling close to Enlightenment. While feeling connected to the land, his attitude about farming changes and he becomes frustrated that the peasants aren’t flexible to work with him on new ideas of agriculture and technology – something that takes up much of Part 3. He receives a letter and learns that Dolly, Stiva’s wife and Kitty’s sister, is staying nearby to save on expenses. When Levin visits her she brings up Kitty, letting him know she believes there’s still a chance of them being together. Levin begins to get angry, saying it could never happen. The next day he spots Kitty passing in a carriage and his heart is light again, open to loving her.

    Why do you think Levin’s feelings changed so quickly when he saw Kitty? Did he really stop having feelings for her before, or do you think it was more about his pride? Are you someone who likes to keep busy and do chores when there are other things on your mind like Levin? 

    Karenin and Anna’s marriage is in a bad state. Karenin wants Anna to suffer and is refusing a divorce, and he’s beginning to resent their son while also using him against her. They eventually meet again and Karenin essentially tells Anna he’ll tolerate her affair as long as Vronsky doesn’t go into their home… which Anna can’t uphold. 

    There’s a lot to talk about when it comes to Anna and Karenin’s son; I felt so badly for him through the entire novel. Do you think either of his parents are worse for their behavior toward him, or are they equally bad parents? Anna talks about how much she loves and misses her son, but she also chose to continue her affair with Vronsky and leave her life behind knowing she was leaving her son. Karenin uses his son against Anna and doesn’t provide much, or any, affection. 

    That’s it for Parts 1-3! Come back next week where we’ll be discussing Parts 4 and 5. 

  • Anna Karenina, Week 1

    Welcome to December’s online book club! This month we’ll be discussing Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. If you have read the book and would also like to talk about it in person, the Xenia Community Library’s Classics Book Club will be discussing the entire novel this Saturday, December 6th, from 3pm-4pm. 

    To a lot of readers, Anna Karenina doesn’t immediately scream “holiday read!”, but this long book is full of wintery scenes perfect to read during long winter nights. We’re supposed to be getting snow tonight and tomorrow, so it’s perfect timing to stay in and read about the drama of other people’s lives. Taking place in imperial Russia in the 1870’s, Anna Karenina is a tale of passion, betrayal, faith, and societal expectations. 

    If this is more of a film season than reading season for you, the book has been adapted into a film starring Keira Knightly, Jude Law, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. 

    Join me next week where I’ll be discussing Parts 1, 2, and 3 of the novel. Looking forward to discussing it with you in the comments! You can watch the trailer below:

  • Killers of the Flower Moon, Week Four

    Welcome back to Week Four discussing the final part of Killers of the Flower Moon; Chronicle Three, The Reporter.

    Chronicle Three opens with the author David Grann traveling to Pawhuska in 2012 and follows his various visits to the Osage Nation through 2015. When visiting a museum, Grann sees a large wall-sized photograph of prominent local leaders and the tribe in 1924, with one person’s face missing. He’s shown an original copy of the photograph with the missing man’s face – William Hale. The museum Director Kathryn Red Corn explains to Grann, “the devil was standing right there,” and that they didn’t remove him to forget, but because they can’t forget.  

    Do you think there’s power in making a choice like the one the museum staff made to remove Hale? Is there a right or wrong way to process the actions of a “problematic” historical figure, for lack of a better term?

    Grann met Mollie’s granddaughter Margie Burkhart, the daughter of Ernest and Mollie’s son “Cowboy”. We learn a new disturbing part of her family’s story: Mollie and Cowboy were supposed to spend the night at the Smith’s house the night it was bombed, but Cowboy had an earache and they stayed home.

    Mollie died aged 50 in 1937, only several years after winning the right to overseeing her own money and no longer be a ward of the state. Later that year Ernest got out on parole after only serving a little more than a decade of a life sentence. He robbed an Osage home and went back to prison. In 1966 he applied for a pardon to be able to return to Oklahoma, citing his confession and cooperation being the main reason Tom White was able to solve the case, and it was granted. Ernest died in 1986 with a wish to be cremated and have his ashes scattered in the Osage Hills. Margie said, “Finally, one night my dad got real mad and took the box and just chucked it over a bridge.”

    Could you imagine living with the knowledge that your father was willing to murder you, along with your mother, in order to inherit a fortune?

    William Hale was released after twenty years due to his age of 72 and record as a good prisoner. He was forbidden to go back to Oklahoma.

    The rest of Grann’s research went in to as much detail as possible with the limited resources he had about additional deaths and murders in the tribe. After Hale’s arrest, there were more potential murders by poisoning. Some of the people who were murdered, like Mary Lewis, were killed before the official timeline of the Reign of Terror (1921-1926). There are so many questionable deaths that weren’t investigated as homicides, and so many families who don’t have resolution; only suspicions of what happened and who did it. He ends the book with the quote, “This land is saturated with blood… the blood cries out from the ground.”

    How are you feeling now that we’ve come to the end of the book? There is no “happily ever after” for anyone involved. As we just discussed, many of the families still have no closure. There were so many details I left out while discussing the chapters in order for brevity in these posts, and I imagine that an in-person book club could talk about this one for hours.

    David Grann’s line “history is a merciless judge” hit me hard as I read it. On a smaller scale, it makes me think about my ancestors and what my future family down the line will think of me when I’m gone. On a larger scale, I wonder what future generations will think of the 2025 world, what parts of history get to be remembered for the decades to come, and if the Osage’s Reign of Terror will be more than a footnote in history books.

    Has this book inspired you to read more indigenous stories? November is National Native American Heritage Month and I’ve made a list of fiction and nonfiction books available to check out here.

    Watch author David Grann’s interesting discussion about his book being turned into a film below!

  • Killers of the Flower Moon, Week Three

    Welcome back to week three discussing Chronicle Two: The Evidence Man in Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann. This section focuses greatly on Tom White, a former Texas Ranger who joined the Bureau in 1917. He and his younger brother J.C. “Doc” White were known as “the Cowboys” and didn’t exactly live up to Hoover’s idealized image of what his team should look and act like.

    When Tom takes on the case he’s aware that many of the former agents involved were fired or killed while investigating. Honestly, why do you think Tom accepted the case? Did he have a choice? If you were in Tom’s shoes would you have investigated the murders or would you have quit?

    I enjoyed Grann’s descriptions of Tom’s character. We learn that he’s no-nonsense and that he doesn’t stand for the mistreatment of others, including prisoners. While technology is improving in their field he also relies on the most basic methods of gathering evidence. “As White strove to be a modern evidence man, he had to learn many new techniques, but the most useful one was timeless: coldly, methodically separating hearsay from facts that he could prove.” He definitely had his work cut out for him in separating hearsay from facts.

    By the time Tom and his team are involved there’s very little physical evidence remaining from the crime scenes, and not much paperwork to go off of. In Anna’s case, the undertaker secretly kept her skull because he felt uneasy about the investigation and crime scene. Tom’s team starts with many members of the team going undercover in the town posing as ranchers, business owners, and John Wren, the only American Indian on the team, as a traveling medicine man.

    In order to gather more information, Tom recruits an informant named Kelsie Morrison. Kelsie ends up playing an important role throughout the rest of the story. Do you think you’d ever be able to trust someone like Morrison? What if your life depended on it? Soon after Morrison gets involved, Tom learns that Rose Osage lied in her original statements. She admits that a white man came to her house with a statement and forced her to sign it. This makes the team realize “the conspirators were not only erasing evidence, they were manufacturing it.”

    After a lot of work, Tom and his team learn that the private investigator William Hale had hired wasn’t supposed to solve Anna’s murder, he was supposed to come up with an alibi for Bryan Burkhardt, and that when he would meet with Hale and Bryan there was almost always one other man there: Ernest Burkhardt. We eventually find out that Hale received headrights to other local men like Henry Roan, had forced his employees to set fire to his own fields to get insurance money, and was a known enemy to Bill and Rita before their deaths.

    It was so frustrating reading how little concrete evidence there was to tie Hale to the Osage murders, along with his influence he had over politicians. Even when he and Ernest are both arrested and the trials start it was nearly impossible to get a jury, attorney, and judge who would not be bribed or influenced by Hale. After numerous trials and juries Ernest, Bryan, and Hale are given life sentences. Do you think it’s ever truly possible to get a fair trial in a small town?

    My heart broke for Mollie over and over again. Grann describes how she was essentially an outcast from both the Osage and white communities, sitting alone during the trials. It took a long time for her to believe her husband Ernest had knowingly been involved in any of the murders, or had taken part in making her ill. One of her daughters died at four years old and Mollie returned to the courthouse after the burial. When Ernest was on the stand at Hale’s trial he admits that Mollie’s only living relatives are the children they share together. It was a relief to read that within a few years she fell in love again and remarried a man named John Cobb and that they fought to end the corrupt guardianship system that played a large part in the murders. As of 1931, Mollie was no longer a ward of the state and could spend her money as she wished.

    Years after the case ended, Tom accepted a position as warden of Leavenworth prison in Texas. Soon after, Hale and his coconspirator Ramsey ended up at the same prison. In December 1931, seven of the prisoners took Tom hostage and tried to escape town. Tom was shot and left to die while trying to protect children they came across in the escape. In the end, none of the convicts escaped town, were sent back to prison, and Tom survived.

    When all was said and done, Hoover never publicly thanked or honored his team for closing the case of the Osage murders, but he used the case to showcase his methodical and successful organization. The Osage Tribal Council thanked each member of Tom’s team with a resolution citing each person’s name.

    Now that we’ve reached the end of Chronicle Two and finished the primary part of the story, what do you think of Mollie and Ernest’s relationship? Do you believe their connection was a natural one, or do you think William Hale planned this series of murders with Ernest from the very beginning?

    If this was a fictional story, would you have criticisms that the amount of drama is unbelievable or over-the-top?

    Come back next week to discuss the final part of the book, Chronicle Three: The Reporter.

  • Killers of the Flower Moon, Week One

    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.

    Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann follows one of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s first major homicide cases in the 1920s.

    In the 1870s, the Osage were driven from their land in Kansas onto a reservation in northern Oklahoma. Within a couple of decades, oil was discovered under their new land, and by 1921 the Osage became the richest people per capita in the world, opening the door to a series of sinister acts against them. At the center of Grann’s story is an Osage woman Mollie Burkhart, her white husband Ernest Burkhart, their families, and the Osage community. Many were targets of terror, calculated murder, and racial injustice.

    We’ll be reading through Chronicle One: The Marked Woman for next week (chapters 1-7), so make sure to check it out before coming back to the next blog post. I look forward to hearing from you in the comments!

    If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the film adaption starring Leonardo Dicaprio, Lily Gladstone, and Robert De Niro on Apple TV+. Don’t have a subscription to Apple TV+? 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.

  • Twilight, the final post

    Welcome to the final week of my first-time-reading-Twilight-blog-experience! We are at chapter 18 and we will go through the end of the book this week. Thank you all for joining me on this adventure to celebrate 20 years of Twilight.

    If you are still looking for some more Twilight fun, I hope you will come to our 20th Anniversary Twilight Party at the Fairborn Library on Saturday November 15, 6:30-8:00.

    Chapter 18: The Hunt

    Whoa, I was not expecting all the action of this chapter!! We meet a new group of vampires: Laurent, Victoria, and James. The differences and interactions between the Cullens and this new group was interesting. They clearly have different vampire-life philosophies and we also see Bella actually feeling the sense of fear in this situation! It’s been around 300 pages of Bella not being afraid, even though she knows she should be, to finally being so scared that she is frozen in place.

    I’m not sure if I agree with the quick plan they put together to get Bella away from the danger of the tracker. I understand that they are trying to protect Bella from a dangerous situation that will move quickly, but they also seem to be forgetting that she is 17 and has a parent at home. It doesn’t seem feasible that she can go home for 15 min and then just decide to leave. What do you think of this plan?

    Chapter 19: Goodbyes

    Well, that plan came together very quickly! I’m surprised how easily Bella was able to leave her home and that Charlie didn’t stop her. How does the fast pace of this section of the book make you feel? I am feeling a little anxious and nervous for Bella’s safety! (but, also, not too nervous because I know there are more books in this series  )

    Chapter 20: Impatience

    The biggest part of this chapter, to me, is learning about how vampires are made! We hear Alice tell Bella her theory of how a vampire is made, even though she doesn’t have the actual memory herself. I do wonder why Alice doesn’t have this memory since most vampires keep this as their most vivid and painful memory. Maybe we will get more of Alice’s backstory in the future?

    What did you think about the vision that Alice has in this chapter and how do you think it relates to the tracking of Bella? Do you think the Cullens will be able to protect her easily?

    Chapter 21: Phone Call

    This was a quick but powerful chapter. I can’t believe the tracker has Bella’s mom! Bella is certainly a little delusional to think that she can successfully escape from Alice and Jasper but I appreciate her willingness to try and her continued thinking that she doesn’t want anyone to come to any harm on her behalf.

    Chapter 22: Hide-and-Seek

    So, in this reading of Twilight, I have been writing these reaction blog posts in real time—I will read a chapter and then write my reflections on it. I am now laughing at myself from just a few minutes ago when I was sure Bella would not be able to escape Alice and Jasper, but then she did it so easily! She also, finally, refers to Forks as her home. This feels like a huge character development for her!

    We finally get the scene that is referenced in the preface about “the hunter” in “the long room”. Bella has taken her destiny in her own hands by running off on her own to try to save her mom. Were you surprised that it was all a trap and that Bella’s mom was not actually in danger? I was! I am feeling a little scared for Bella right now! She is not doing great at the end of this chapter and I hope someone comes to save her soon! What do you think about this section?

    Chapter 23: The Angel

    This was a short chapter, but I am relieved that Edward, Carlisle, and Alice made it in time to save Bella! Edward is compared to an angel in this chapter which aligns consistently with Bella’s perception of him as perfect and beautiful.  

    Chapter 24: An Impasse

    I am feeling more relief in this chapter that Bella is okay and is recovering in the hospital. Tell me I wasn’t the only one who thought she might have been turned into a vampire at the end of that last chapter! It’s very interesting to me that she is almost regretting that she wasn’t turned. She really seems to want this for herself and her life.

    Epilogue: An Occasion

    This was a great ending to this book! I love that we are back in Forks and that Bella and Edward go to prom together! It feels sweet that we end on such a nice, high school experience, that bookends the beginning’s experience of starting at a new high school. There are two things that stood out to me the most in this final chapter. First, Bella is very insistent about wanting to be turned into a vampire. This feels so wild to me. Edward is trying to show her that she should have regular human, teenage girl experiences and she wants nothing to do with it. It does not seem like she is going to give up this position. Second, we get one final scene with Jacob Black! I was happy that he made an appearance at prom to chat with Bella. He’s not in this book very much, but I really like him as a character, even if his message and warnings were a little ominous.

    Well, we did it! We made it to the end of Twilight. I really enjoyed this experience reading Twilight for the very first time 20 years after it was originally published. I had a lot of preconceived thoughts about the story and the writing and I am so happy to be proven wrong. This was a fun and entertaining book with an engaging story line that had me feeling so many emotions! I don’t think I can pick Team Edward or Team Jacob yet, based on this book alone…so I think that means I have to keep reading this series. 

    Thank you so much for reading this far into my blog posts about this and I hope to see you at our Twilight Party in November!

  • Twilight, Week 4

    Welcome back! I am still enjoying my first read of Twilight and I hope you have been having fun reading along with me! This week we will cover chapter 13 through chapter 17, so let’s dive in.

    Chapter 13: Confessions

    Last week, I had so many emotions over the fact that the chapter ended right as Edward was stepping out into the sun for Bella to see how he sparkles so I was thrilled to keep reading about it in this chapter.

    We learn a lot about vampires in this Twilight universe here: to them, some humans smell (taste?) different than others in a way that becomes more pronounced with time; they sparkle; they are extremely strong and fast, which we have evidence for when Edward runs around the meadow and breaks off some tree limbs. In other vampire books that I have read, the vampires are often able to drink the blood from people without killing the, but Edward talks as if the only option he has is to kill her. Is that right in this universe or did I miss something? Maybe we will find out more later on in the story.

    We also learned a little bit more about the Cullen family dynamic when Edward described their reactions to his situation with Bella, they were divided. I hope we get to learn more about the other Cullens—they have been mentioned in passing and have been side characters so far, but I am curious about each of them and the family backstory.

    The most interesting bit of this chapter, to me, is Edwards statement, “And so the lion fell in love with the lamb…” I know this is a popular and often-quoted part of Twilight in the fandom and I’m wondering what your thoughts are about this. To me, it falls right in line with all of the other biblical references that are strung throughout this book. From the very first page with a quote from Genesis, to the repeated visual of the apple (forbidden fruit), to this lion and lamb metaphor, we are seeing the biblical representation of opposites: good vs. evil, strong vs. weak (or meek, in the sense of the lamb), perfect and beautiful Edward vs. stupid and clumsy Bella.

    This is taking me back to the preface, which was very confusing to me at the time I read it, but is now beginning to make some sense. We are heading in the direction of a sacrificial death, a lamb to slaughter, a hunter stalking his prey. I would say that things are not looking great for Bella, but she seems to be happy and having the time of her life.

    Chapter 14: Mind Over Matter

    Oh my gosh—so Edward is 104 years old at this point in the story?! It’s very fun to get the back story of the Cullen family and how they all came to be vampires and now live together as a family. It’s also very telling and interesting that they are all paired up, except Edward. We have Rosalie and Emmett, Alice and Jasper, Esme and Carlisle, Edward and…Bella?

    What do you think about some of the special gifts some vampires seem to have? Edward can read (most) minds and Alice can see visions of the future. How has this played into what we know about the story now and what might happen in the rest of the book?

    Once we get through some of this background info on the Cullens, I am not sure how I feel about the remainder of the chapter. I do not at all like how Edward watches Bella sleep EVERY SINGLE NIGHT!!! That is wild and an invasion of privacy. I get that he is obsessed with her…but…I don’t like it. What do you think about this? Do you think it’s cute and romantic or a little bit creepy?

    Chapter 15: The Cullens

    Okay, the first thing about this chapter that I want to talk about is that Edward is very clearly and intentionally not saying that he loves Bella. She has told him several times, very directly, that she loves him and he has not said it back. He said, “You are my life now” and that is not the same as, “I love you”. Do you think he will ever say this to her or is the extent of their relationship and his feelings the obsession and overprotection?

    It was really fun to read about the Cullen household and have some interactions between Bella and the vampire family. I am curious and interested to find out what happens with the mysterious visitors that are coming and also what Alice’s vision is all about. I hope we find out soon!

    Chapter 16: Carlisle

    I have so much appreciation for the character of Carlisle after reading this chapter! Did you like to read about his backstory and his life’s journey and work? First of all, it seems like Carlisle has a fantastic home office/library and I am always appreciative of that. Bella describes it as having more books than she’s ever seen outside of a library.

    Second, learning about Carlisle’s history and journey to become the vampire doctor that he is today, was kind of inspiring. He was alone in the world and had to make his own way to survive while also intentionally trying to not bring harm to humans. This compassion that drives his life and purpose is a stark contrast to the narrative that Edward has been telling to Bella—that they are dangerous killers who have little to no self-control.

    Third, the concept that Edward, in his teenage-vampire rebellion, would use his ability to read minds to hunt down and kill only evil people, is interesting. What do you think of this concept? Do you think that he is justified to pursue this method? (Who has seen the show or read the book series Dexter? That’s what I thought of here—a serial killer who only kills other serial killers).

    Chapter 17: The Game

    Jacob is back for a scene in this chapter! It’s nice to see him and I wish we had more of him in this book because I want to figure out if I am Team Jacob or Team Edward. Someone told me that I probably need to read further in the series to really decide that, so I might have to keep going after I finish this one!

    Edward FINALLY tells Bella that he loves her. It took him long enough considering all they have been through already!

    The baseball scenes are hilarious. I don’t even know what to think. It’s so ridiculous that they have to wait for a thunderstorm to play baseball, but it also makes perfect sense. I am not very interested in sports, personally, but I wouldn’t mind watching a vampire baseball game!

    This chapter is the final one for this week, and it really ended on a cliffhanger! I have been wondering what Alice’s visions meant and who she saw and it seems like we are really close to finding out! Are they other vampires? Werewolves? Some other supernatural creature? I guess I need to keep reading to find out!

    Thank you for reading this far into my Twilight journey and I look forward to chatting with you in the comments!

  • Twilight, Week 3

    Welcome back to the next installment in my Twilight journey! Last week, we left off at the point in the story where we have met our main characters and Jacob has shared with Bella some of the lore and history about werewolves and vampires. I am finding that I am really enjoying reading this book! I wasn’t sure about it when I started, but I am having a lot of fun with it now!

    This week, we will cover chapter 7 through chapter 12. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts in the comments!

    Chapter 7: Nightmare

    What a chapter to start this week off! I absolutely loved this chapter of the book. I am reading my own copy of this book (not a library copy) and I made so many annotations. I know it’s a controversial topic in the bookish world, but I love writing in my books, it enriches the reading experience for me and I enjoy going back to see what my past-self noticed and thought.
    The first thing we have to talk about for this chapter is the old tech!! It was great and funny to read about Bella plugging in her headphones to her CD player and listening to a CD she was given. Is there any lore in the Twilight fandom about what CD this could be? I am so curious! Bella says there is “a little too much bass and shrieking” for her taste and I am dying to know what band or album this is. Then, there is an entire page where Bella is impatiently waiting for the dialup internet to connect and load. It takes so long that she walks away to make herself a bowl of cereal! I literally laughed out loud at this part because it is an experience that I have had many times in my life but haven’t thought about in years. How nostalgic! Are there any old tech experiences or memories that you miss?

    I also love that she just googles the word vampire, has to click away a ton of pop-up ads, and then begins her research on her Cullens-are-vampires-theory.

    My only complaint about this chapter is that Bella went into the woods by herself and that seems slightly dangerous. She has a feeling of not being alone or of being watched at least twice so far in this book—is Edward following her and watching her?!

    Chapter 8: Port Angeles

    In the previous chapter, I was briefly worried for Bella when she went on a walk in the woods by herself because that is not usually a safe or smart thing to do alone, especially without tell anyone. I would gladly go back to those feelings compared to the ones I had in this chapter! I read through the section of her walking alone through the town so quickly because I couldn’t stand it!

    It’s an interesting juxtaposition to have this situation with heightened fear for Bella and her safety be resolved by Edward coming to her rescue. We are put in a situation where Edward seems like a strong and safe presence in Bella’s life even though this directly contradicts everything Edward says. He maintains that he is bad, dangerous, and that Bella should stay away from him. Yet, at the same time, he seems to be constantly saving her and worried about her safety and wellbeing. I am very interested in this continuation of the good vs evil themes that were set up from last week’s chapters.
    Please tell me in the comments your thoughts about their first date. What wild first-date conversation—discussing the limits of Edward’s ability to read minds (hypothetically) while she eats mushroom ravioli. 

    I feel like I have so many questions after this date and conversation. Why does Edward feel compelled to constantly monitor Bella’s safety and continue to go out of his way to save her? Why do Edward’s eyes change color based on his mood or his feelings? Why is Bella the one exception to his mind reading abilities? Why is she and their connection seem special and unique?

    Chapter 9: Theory

    We get some truly iconic moments in this chapter! In addition to never reading Twilight (before now) I have also never seen the movies, but I know enough to know that some of the scenes here are a point of contention when we compare the book to the movie, so let’s talk about it.

    When Bella first says the word vampire to Edward, I was expecting something wildly dramatic and it felt anticlimactic to me compared to what I had envisioned. What are your thoughts and opinions on this scene? Do you like the more casual conversation of the book or the more dramatic flair of the movie?

    The second iconic part is when she asks him how long he has been 17. I have seen that bit of dialogue from the movie and I was immediately excited to get to that part in the book. Do we ever find out exactly how long Edward has been 17?! (Also, it seems kind of crazy that they are all still going to high school…is that explained later?)

    The third iconic part (in my opinion) is when Edward describes how he can’t go out in the sunlight where he can be seen. He doesn’t say why or what happens other than the sun doesn’t hurt him, but I think we all know by now what the sun does and how he sparkles. It was fun to have this be the first reference to the sparkling and I am excited to get to read about Bella seeing it for the first time (hopefully!).

    The final iconic part of this chapter is the very last few lines:

    About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him—and I didn’t know how potent that part might be—that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

    I don’t even know if I have words to talk about this part other than I was giggling and kicking my feet and having a great time reading Twilight.
    What is your favorite moment of this chapter?

    Chapter 10: Interrogations

    There were some fun and cute moments in this chapter. What do you think about the character of Jessica? The archetype of a high school best friend provides some relief to the intense conversations and scenes with Edward. It’s also a nice reminder that most of our characters are true teenagers and high schoolers.

    We also get more of Bella doubling down on the negative self-talk while simultaneously praising Edward. This is continuing to be quite the theme in this book. Oh! We also get a second reference of a character holding an apple in this chapter. I am interested to see if there is more that happens with this imagery in the story since it is the iconic cover image and represents the theme of good versus evil.

    Chapter 11: Complications

    Just when Bella and Edward seem to be getting along great and getting into a cute little routine, Jacob Black shows up again at the end of this chapter. I can see why this one is titled “Complications”.

    Remind me again in the comments if you are Team Edward or Team Jacob!

    Chapter 12: Balancing

    It was nice to see Jacob back in this chapter and see more of his interactions with Bella. It wasn’t as charming, to me, as their first meeting at the beach hang, but it was still nice.

    I really dislike how easily Bella just lies to literally everyone about her plans with Edward. That does not sit well with me. But aside from the lies…. the meadow scene!! The description of the meadow is lovely—full of wildflowers and a haze of buttery sunshine.

    I cannot believe that this chapter ends before Edward steps out into the sunshine. You will have to wait until next week to read my thoughts on all the sparkles. 

    Thank you again for reading this far!

  • Twilight, Week 2

    Over the last 20 years of Twilight fandom and popularity, I will admit to knowing very little about it besides a messy love triangle and being on team vampire or werewolf, but I am ready to change that! To celebrate the anniversary of this iconic piece of literature, I am reading Twilight for the very first time and I invite you to read along with me this month as part of the Online Book Club (Huge shoutout and thank you to Erin who is letting me take over this space for the month of October!)

    Whether you are a first time Twilight reader, like me, or have been a fan since the beginning in 2005, I want to hear from you in the comments! My plan is to break down the book, chapter by chapter, with my thoughts, first impressions, and questions. For our first week, we will look at the epigraph through chapter 6.

    Epigraph & Preface:

    I was unprepared for the start of this book! The epigraph and the preface provide a dark and serious tone that is different than my presumptions of this story. An epigraph is a quote at the beginning of a piece of writing that helps set up the tone and theme of the work for the reader. Twilight’s epigraph is from the book of Genesis and sets up the themes of good versus evil, what is forbidden, and death. 

    The preface is relatively short but is intense! It immediately starts with the death of the narrator, while she is contemplating her life and her imminent, sacrificial death by someone called “the hunter”. I have some suspicions of what this could mean, but I don’t want to get too ahead of myself! 

    Chapter 1: First Sight

    I love how all of the chapters have names! This one is called “First Sight” and Meyer does the work to give the reader a good introduction (or first sight, haha) to the setting, characters, and themes. We meet Bella Swan, our protagonist, as she narrates unhappy feelings about her move to Forks, Washington. There was one point where she was giving herself a pep talk before going to her new school for the first time and she says to herself, “No one was going to bite me.” I think I actually laughed out loud here at this vampire joke a few pages before we are introduced to the Cullens. 

    Edward Cullen is immediately unlikeable, in my opinion. He doesn’t say a single word to Bella when they are biology partners and then tries to get assigned to a different class period because of her. What do you think about this introduction to Edward? Do you have a good first impression of him? 

    Chapter 2: Open Book

    In this next chapter, we learn more about Bella’s personality and interests as she is adjusting to her new school and her life in Forks. (Shoutout to Bella for reading Wuthering Heights for fun!) We also learn more about her thoughts about Edward—which she has a lot of thoughts about him and all of the Cullens. I noticed the contrast in descriptions between Edward and Bella. She describes herself as awkward and clumsy while Edward is beautiful, dazzling, and flawless. I’m curious about this juxtaposition and how is continues throughout the story and how we might tie it into the themes of good versus evil from the beginning of the book. 

    We also get the first conversation and real interaction between Bella and Edward and I am wondering if we are supposed to like him at this point? I’m not sure if I do…

    Chapter 3: Phenomenon

    Wow this chapter is wild!! Edward saves Bella from a car accident and then gaslights her about his actions and speed. I am glad that he took some action to save her but the gaslighting afterwards is not quite helping my low opinion of him at this point in the story. 

    Chapter 4: Invitations

    I am continuing to notice the contrast between Bella and Edward as she describes herself and her fascination with Edward as pitiful, pathetic, and unhealthy while she describes him as interesting, brilliant, and mysterious. What do you think about these descriptions? Do you agree with her assessments?

    There is something endearing about Bella’s experience of having every boy ask you to the dance except the one you have a crush on, it seems like a quintessential teenage girl feeling. When Edward finally offers to give her a ride to Seattle on the day of the dance, I will admit that I felt giddy for Bella and am seeing that Edward is starting to seem slightly charming and likeable. 

    Chapter 5: Blood Type

    Edward says, “I decided as long as I was going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly.” And then gives Bella several warnings about how he is not good for her and that she should avoid him—like that is going to work on her at all…she is obsessed with him! But the warnings are dark and ominous and I am feeling very curious and intrigued about what is going to happen between them. Should we believe Edward’s warnings? Is Bella in danger by being around him?

    I really liked this chapter and the banter between Bella and Edward as they get to know each other and are both clearly interested in the other. I am also enjoying all the little hints we are getting to the fact that he is a vampire (even though we don’t officially know that, yet!)

    Chapter 6: Scary Stories

    This might be my favorite chapter so far. So much happens! We are finally introduced to some new characters when Bella and her friends go to La Push. We meet a group of teenagers from the reservation and are introduced to the youngest of them, Jacob Black. I was immediately charmed by Jacob and how nice and sweet he is, which is a stark contrast to the introduction of Edward. I did not like how Bella intentionally manipulates Jacob to get information about the Cullens, but, as a reader, I am glad she did it because we got so much lore and information! I found it shocking that Jacob so quickly and freely gives away all of this information to her about vampires and werewolves. Shouldn’t this be more of a secret?! Even though Bella is intentionally manipulative, it also seems like she has natural chemistry with Jacob.

    Even though this is my very first read of Twilight, I know that people are very much either Team Edward or Team Jacob. I do not have enough information yet to make my decision on this—but I want to know what team you are on and why! 

    Thank you for reading this far into my blog post and joining me on this Twilight journey. I am pleasantly surprised at how much I am enjoying the reading experience, especially after so many years of deliberately not reading this book. I am looking forward to chatting with you in the comments—I have so many more thoughts and opinions to share!