Tag: Online Book Club

Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of Black Cake.

How relieved were you when Covey was alive at the beginning of this section? I definitely had expected her to survive her escape, but it was good to have confirmation nonetheless. Were you surprised that Bunny was able to find Covey? 

Did you expect that Covey was Byron and Benny’s mother? I couldn’t think of any other reason why we were reading about Covey if she were not connected to the family, so I wasn’t surprised when she revealed that detail. I can’t imagine how thrown Byron and Benny were when listening to their mother tell them all of her secrets. I think that would be incredibly hard to hear. 

What surprised you most about Covey’s life after she left home? It was definitely really surprising when her friend, Elly, died, and Covey inadvertantly took her identity. What did you think when that happened? Did you think that was too far-fetched for the story? Did you feel sad about Elly’s death? What did you think about the scene where Covey was attacked? I thought the pages where Covey talks about having her baby ripped away from her were incredibly hard to read. I just can’t imagine that kind of grief. I don’t know how she was strong enough to keep going and have a life after the baby was taken. Covey was so strong and brave. 

Were you shocked when Covey and Gibbs reunited? I was surprised that she was able to find him again. I’m glad they ended up together. Covey deserved that happiness. Were you surprised by how easy it was for Gibbs and Covey to change their names and become new people? I’m not sure that people would be able to do that in our society now. Were just so much more connected now. I think it would be harder for people to start fresh with a new life and a new name. 

Does it surprise you that Bunny (Etta) became such a successful swimmer? It seemed like she was always in Covey’s shadow, so it’s interesting that she was able to make such a successful career for herself. Were you glad that Bunny and Covey were able to talk to each other a little bit before Covey died? 

Did you feel any different about Covey after you read about her surfing accident after her husband died? The accident that wasn’t really an accident because Covey hoped that she would die that day. Are you surprised she would do something like that? How do you think the children would have reacted had they known the truth about that day? 

I thought it was really sad that Benny wrote a letter to her mother but never sent it. Don’t you think that’s really sad? I wonder if they could have reconciled and spent time together before Covey’s death. Did it surprise you that Byron felt so betrayed after he found out that Covey had reached out to Benny? Did it also surprise you to learn that Gibbs visited Benny once but was unable to get out of the car? I thought that detail was pretty heartbreaking. 

At the end of this section, we meet Marble Martin. How do you think she relates to this story? Do you think she’s Covey’s long-lost daughter? Isn’t it interesting that she talks about culture and food? 

Are you excited to read the next section? Are you excited to finally get all of the answers to any questions you have about the characters? Before you go, check out this Featurette about the Hulu series. Does the series seem true to the book? 

Thanks for following along this week. I hope you’ll leave a comment to let me know your thoughts on this section. Make sure to finish the book before coming back next week.  I look forward to hearing from you in the comments!

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of Black Cake.

Did you enjoy reading the beginning of the book? This section sure ended on a cliff hanger, didn’t it! I’m sorry that I made you stop in such an exciting spot! But, hopefully, that makes you want to continue reading for next week!

At the beginning of the book, we meet Byron and Benny and learn that they have not seen each other for years. There is a lot of baggage between them, but the specifics of their problems aren’t really addressed in this first section. Did you feel like you understood why Benny left the family? Why do you think she didn’t attend her father’s funeral? Were you surprised when they started to listen their mother’s recording and she mentioned that they had a sister? I think that would be a hard suprise to hear in a recording like that. It’s too bad she didn’t share that information with them when she was still alive. 

What did you think of the Covey storyline? I could not believe all of the twists and turns in Covey’s life! It was bad enough that her mother left, but then when her father got more into gambling, I just knew something horrible was going to happen. What do you think happened to Covey’s mother? Do you think she expected to leave and never come back? It seems strange that she would leave her daughter behind. I was just so mad at Covey’s father throughout this first section. I don’t understand how he could be so apathetic towards Covey, and I really couldn’t believe that he was willing to let her marry Little Man. He seems to only care about himself and making sure that he is successful and fine. He doesn’t care how his actions affect his daughter.

Do you like Covey as a character? I thought it was interesting that she was such a powerful swimmer. She was incredibly brave to be in the water even when conditions were not favorable. I was glad that she had Bunny as a close friend. I think Covey’s life would have been pretty miserable and lonely if she had not had Bunny. What do you think about Gibbs? Do you think it’s smart for Covey to be sneaking around with Gibbs? Do you think there is any future with him? 

What are your first impressions of Bryon and Benny? They both seem a little bit lost and seem to have a lot of personal trauma. Byron obviously has some unresolved feelings for his past girlfriend, Lynette, and Benny can’t seem to figure out what she wants to do with her life. I was glad once we got to learn a little bit more about Benny’s backstory. It makes sense that she would leave college after getting attacked, and it was good to understand that Benny and her parents had a falling out because they were not pleased with the person she was dating. I felt so sad for Benny that she carried all of this pain and sadness by herself. I really wonder if her family would have become more understanding and supportive if she had come back home again. It’s interesting that Byron is such a famous scientist. 

How surprised were you when Little Man keeled over at the wedding and Covey escaped? Do you think you have a guess as to what happened to Little Man? Do you think Covey survived her escape? Do you think Bunny is going to be able to find her? What do you think is going to happen in the next section? 

Before you go, check out the clip below to learn more about the Hulu adaptation of the book. Do you think it looks like an interesting series? 

I can’t wait to hear what you thought of the first section! For next week, make sure to read through page 259! 

Welcome to Week 1 of the Online Book Club Discussion of Black Cake. 

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.

Black Cake tells the story of two siblings who are forced to reunite after their mother passes away. The siblings have been estranged for several years, but after their mother died, she left a recording telling her life story in the hopes that they would reconcile and complete her last wishes. As the siblings listen to the recording, they realize that their mother was not the person they thought she was, and she had a secret and traumatic past. This book is a wonderful family saga that will keep you flipping pages right until the end. 

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

We’re reading the first 128 pages for next week, so make sure to read those before coming back next week for the next blog post!

Welcome to the final Online Book Club discussion of The Boys in the Boat.

What did you think of the ending? Did you love it? I found myself fighting back tears while I was reading the ending here at work. It was just so wonderful to read about how the boys were rewarded for their hard work, and I loved reading how all of their lives ended up after their college careers were finished. They all seemed like such amazing men. 

One thing I couldn’t believe was how long it took Al Ulbrickson to create the exact right group that would prove to be unbeatable. It was such a hard process to figure out the exact right formula of guys! Were you surprised that it was such an exacting process? I was also surprised that each place in the boat had such a specific purpose. It just seemed to me that everyone was doing pretty much the same thing. I liked learning about Bobby Moch and how he was so perfect at his job. Each boy that ended up on the team had such an interesting backstory. 

Another thing that shocked me was how much the boys trained for so few competitions. They trained so hard for so many months, so it’s wild that they only had two competitions a year. Can you imagine working that much for that little of a reward? They were really dedicated to the craft!

What did you think about all of the descriptions of Germany during the Olympics and all of the ways they were deceitful? They took down anti-Semetic signs and newspapers and polished and painted every surface. Could you believe they even put flowers outside of vacant apartments to make them look lived in? They thought of every single detail. It’s amazing that they were able to trick so many people. How long do you think things stayed looking so nice? How soon after the Olympics were over did they put out all of the signs against the Jewish people? 

I was so nervous the whole time I was reading about the Olympic race, even though I knew the boys were going to win. I couldn’t believe how sick Don Hume was throughout the race. What do you think happened to him when he seemed to be almost passed out? How did he’d recover and come back into his body? They definitely would not have been able to win if he had not had some ability to work past his sickness. What did you think of the fact that the boys were put in the worst outside lane? I wasn’t really surprised that the Germans were cheating to try to make sure they were the winners. I was glad that they weren’t rewarded for cheating. 

What else stuck out to you in this section? What details were the most interesting to you? Did you find yourself Googling anything to learn more? Would you recommend this book to anyone you know? 

Did this book make you want to read and watch other inspirational stories? Check out this list I created if you’re looking for more movies and books like this one. Make sure to let me know if you check out something on the list! 

Make sure to check out the clip below to hear more about the gold medal race. When I first watched the clip, I was confused how there were so many close-up shots of the boys. But, when I read the final pages of the book, I learned that Leni Riefenstahl asked the boys to row for her the day after the race, so she could have different shots for her movie. Did you catch that part in the book? That was so interesting! It sure makes for really interesting historical footage now! 

Thank you so much for following along this month! I hope you enjoyed the book, and I can’t wait to read your final thoughts in the comments. Next month, we’ll be reading Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. I hope you’ll read along with us in February!

Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Boys in the Boat.

Did you enjoy reading this section? I’m so excited for the boys to actually get moving and get to the Olympics. This section was tough just because all of the rowing stuff seemed to be so up in the air! It took so long for the right combination of boys to land in the boat. 

One thing that stuck out to me in this section was how hard Joe worked to make sure he could stay at the University of Washington and stay on the rowing team. Could you believe his summer job of jackhammering to carve out a place for a new dam? I cannot even imagine trying to jackhammer on solid ground much less while dangling from a rope. Check out this article about the construction of the Grand Coulee dam to see a picture of the jackhammer crews blasting on the side of the canyon. It was cool that Joe was able to bond with a few other boys on the rowing team while working that summer. I was glad when Joe was able to open up to others. 

What did you think of George Pocock? I was glad when he was able to take Joe under his wing. He seemed like a wonderful man, so I was glad that he was able to mentor Joe a bit. I think George made the ultimate difference for Joe and allowed Joe to become a successful member of the team. 

I really hoped that Joe would be able to reunite with his family in that section, so I was glad that he was able to reconnect with his father a bit at the end of this section. It’s too bad that it took Thula dying to have the family come together. Were you surprised that Joe’s dad said he wanted to build a house for them all to live in together? It was sad to read how Thula rebuffed Joe when he tried to make a connection with her and her children. It was good that Joe had Joyce. I think she really helped since she gave him unconditional love and support. 

It was crazy to me that the boys trained so hard for so few races. I really can’t believe that they were motivated for so many months for two little races. I don’t think I would have been able to be disciplined for all of those months with the competitions so far in the future. And, the pressure of those two races would have crushed me, I think! I am not meant to be a rower. Were you surprised when the sophomore boys were able to win their race in Poughkeepsie? They had so many problems. I was surprised that they were able to win. It was disappointing that the varsity team didn’t win, but I’m not sure if Joe and his team would have been able to be the Olympic team in the varsity had won and been successful together. 

What else did you enjoy about this section? What parts stood out to you the most? What did you think of the parts that mentioned Germany and all of the deception taking place there? Are you surprised that Germany was able to trick everyone into thinking it was a peaceful place? How do you think things would have been different had there not been a 1936 Olympics in Berlin? 

While reading about this book, I realized that not only is there a motion picture version but also there is a documentary version that aired on PBS. Take a look at the video below to see the first part of the documentary. Don’t you think it looks interesting? If you think this video looks promising, you can request the full documentary here. 

I hope you liked this section! Make sure to leave a comment to let me know what your favorite parts were. Finally, make sure to finish the book before checking back next week!

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Boys in the Boat.

What did you think about the beginning of the book? Were you interested in the story from the first pages? I was drawn to the story immediately, even though it’s a nonfiction book. I don’t read a lot of nonfiction, so it’s sometimes hard for me to get started on a nonfiction story. But, this one was really interesting from the get-go. 

In the first couple of chapters, we learn a lot about Joe and his childhood. His story was incredibly heartbreaking. I really can’t believe how positive and hardworking his was, even after all of the hardship and betrayal he experienced throughout his formative years. I felt so incredibly angry towards Joe’s dad the whole time I was reading. It’s just so frustrating that Joe was left to fend for himself from such a young age. I just can’t imagine leaving a child like that. I understand that that family was impoverished and that it was hard to feed everyone, but I think the stepmother would have wanted Joe to leave even if they had had enough money for food. She didn’t like Joe from the very beginning. I’m glad that Joe found Joyce. She was able to provide him some stability that his family didn’t provide. 

Did you enjoy reading about rowing? Do you have any rowing experience? I don’t have any experience with rowing, but I still found those sections interesting. I just couldn’t believe how hard the boys worked every single day. They were so dedicated. And, I found it interesting that they had to be in complete sync with each other or they would not be able to go quickly. They basically had to work like a machine. I tried to imagine what the whole mistake, “catch a crab,” would look like, but I couldn’t really picture it. It would be really embarrassing to do that while rowing–especially since it could cause a rower to catapault out of the water! I also tried to imagine how quickly they were rowing. I was glad that the author included how many strokes a minute they were doing, but still, that didn’t really help me know how quickly they were going. Were you able to picture all of the scenes the author described? Did you feel like you were able to get a good feel for the mechanics of rowing? Were you able to imagine the races in your head? 

At the end of this section, we were introduced to Leni Riefenstahl. She seems like she will become a really important character in this story. It’s interesting that Hitler was able to find a filmmaker who was willing to join his propoganda crew. How do you think he will use her films during the Olympic Games? How do you think Goebbels and Riefenstahl will work together going forward? 

What parts of this first section were most interesting to you? Did you enjoy reading about the races? Do you wish you knew more information about any of the people mentioned in the first section? Are you excited to read the next section? 

Before you go, check out the clip below to hear what the stars of the film version had to do to look like competent rowers. Do you think  you could train that hard just to play a part? 

Thanks for following along this week! I hope you’ll leave me a comment to let me know what you thought of the first section! Make sure to read the next 6 chapters before you join us next week!

Welcome to Week 1 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown.

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 Boys in the Boat follows an 8-oar crew that headed to the Berlin Olympics in 1936 to challenge Hitler and the dominant German rowing team. The book follows the members of the team as they go from inexperienced freshman rowers at the University of Washington to unexpected powerhouses in the sport. Running parallel to the story of the boys is the story of Adolf Hitler’s need to dominate the 1936s Olympics to show the world the power of the new German government. It’s a heartwarming and inspirational story that’s really interesting, even if you know nothing about rowing!

If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the movie versionthat was directed by George Clooney. 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 movie and not reading the book. 

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

Welcome to Week 4 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Christmas Train.

Well, I can safely say that I did not see anything from that ending coming. That ending was quite a doozy! What did you think? Did you enjoy the ending? Or did you think it was a little over the top? I think there were too many reveals right at the end. I think one surprise would have been enough. 

At the end of the book, the thief is finally revealed. Were you surprised that it was Father Kelly? That was a real surprise. It was sad that he returned to crime after his wife died. It’s too bad that he was all alone. What did you think about the fact that Agnes was really an undercover police officer for Amtrak? I wouldn’t have guessed that. Do you think the thief storyline was necessary to the plot? Do you think it added anything to the story? 

Also, at the end of the book, we find out that Max organized this whole trip and hired actors to make sure that Tom and Eleanor got together. What did you think of this reveal? I didn’t like it. It was just too out there for me. I just don’t see how Max could have organized all of those details and could have accounted for everything that could ever go wrong. It just seems too far-fetched. Were you surprised that Tom wasn’t more upset when he figured out what Max had done? I guess he was just so happy that Eleanor had agreed to be with him. 

How did the end of the book make you feel about Eleanor and Tom? I feel like I never really got to know Eleanor. I didn’t think she was very fleshed out. I thought it was weird that she wasn’t open with her feelings to Tom at any point. I wish she had been more honest with him and would have told him earlier why she wasn’t interested in being with him. Tom showed himself to be a hero when he was willing to ski to safety, but I still didn’t feel like he was a very likeable character. I feel like I really didn’t get to know him very well either. 

Were you surprised by the avalanche section? Weren’t you so worried for everyone? I didn’t think that anyone would end up dying, but I did find that part of the book stressful! That would be such a horrible scenario! I can’t imagine being trapped like that. It would be so stressful to be running low on food and not know if anyone could come help. I couldn’t believe that they even had to evacuate the train. That would have been really scary. 

What did you think of Lelia in this last section? I think I was glad when it was revealed that she was acting the whole time. I was so confused when she showed up and claimed that she wanted to marry Tom. That seemed so out of character for their relationship. It makes much more sense that she was acting and was not really that interested in Tom. Do you think she and Kristobal will end up together? The end of the book seems to hint that they might try to make a go of things. What do you think that relationship would be like? 

Are you glad you read the book? What part was your favorite? Did you have a favorite character? Did the book help to put you in the Christmas spirit? If you liked this book and would be interested in watching and reading similar titles, make sure to check out this list I created. Let me know if you end up checking out anything on the list!

Make sure to check out the video below to hear Dermot Mulroney talk about the movie and the original song he created for the movie! 

Thanks for following along all month. I hope you enjoyed the book. Make sure to let me know what you thought of the ending in the comments! And, make sure to check back next month as we read The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. 

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

This section sure ended with a bang, didn’t it? Did you see that ending coming at all? I really didn’t. I was shocked when Lelia showed up. 

What do you think about Tom’s relationship to Lelia? I don’t really understand why they stay together at all. It doesn’t seem like they like each other very much. And, obviously, Tom isn’t that attached to her if he is willing to try to reconcile with Eleanor. Why do you think Lelia would come all the way to the train to see Tom? That seems like a lot of effort for someone that you aren’t really committed to. I thought the whole section where Tom tricked her “full-body therapeutic technician” was really weird. Again, I don’t really feel like I like Tom as a character. He was so jealous of that massage therapist and treated him really poorly. And then, he was so willing to lie to Lelia to cover his tracks. I don’t think Tom is a very trustworthy person. Do you like him? Are you rooting for him? 

Were you surprised that Max agreed to pay for Steve and Julie’s wedding? I thought that was a nice gesture. It’s nice that their wedding will be more of an event than they first imagined. It seems like Steve and Julie might have a few reservations about their wedding, so it will be interesting to see how things go as they get closer to the ceremony. 

Who do you think is the mysterious figure who is breaking into cabins and stealing things? I don’t have strong suspicions about anyone on the train, even though I know the book is trying to have me think that Agnes it the criminal. I think they all seem like relatively nice people. The Merryweather guy who was so angry about his missing items doesn’t seem nice, but he obviously isn’t the thief since he had something stolen from his room. What did you think of the fact that they tricked that man with the big snake? I’m not really sure how a snake that big could get in the train in the first place, and I didn’t really like that they played that trick on him. It seemed overly mean. What did you think? 

What do you think Tom’s story is really going to be about? What parts of the train journey do you think he will end up writing about? Do you think he’s having the type of trip that he thought he would? 

What do you think is going to happen in the last section? What will happen with Lelia? And, will Eleanor ever forgive Tom completely, especially now that Lelia has shown up? Who do you think will be revealed as the thief? 

Before you go, check out the clip below to hear David Baldacci talk about writing great characters. Do you think you would classify Tom as a great character? 

I hope you’ll let me know what you thought of this section in the comments! Make sure to finish the book before checking back next week!

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

Did you enjoy reading this first section? I had a bit of a hard time getting into the first couple of chapters, but once the train journey really started, I enjoyed the story more. I’m not sure what I think about Tom Langdon, though. I’m not really sure that I like him as a character. What did you think about the fact that the book started with him being really rude and aggressive at the airport? I think readers were supposed to think it was funny and relatable that he was so mean towards the TSA agent, but I thought it was pretty inappropriate. I think he deserves to not be able to fly for a while. 

Do you think it would be fun to go on a train ride? I think train travel sounds really romantic and exciting. If you’d like to see some pictures of what the Capitol Limited, the train that Tom takes at the beginning of his journey, check out this blog post. Does the train look like you expected it to look? I was surprised at how small the beds and spaces were in the train. I now understand why Tom felt like he would not fit in his bathroom. 

Were you surprised when Eleanor showed up on the train? I thought that was an interesting twist. It seems like they have a really interesting past with each other. I can’t believe how many adventures they have gone on together. With all of that history, it seemed a little weird that Eleanor just decided to leave him one day without much explanation. There must be more to the story. It will be interesting to figure out what really happened between them as the story progresses. They sure won’t be able to stay away from each other long since they are in such tight quarters!

What do you think about the other people on board? Agnes is quite the character. What do you think she’s hiding? She doesn’t seem to be very forthcoming about her past and her family and her reason to be on the train. Do you think you would be able to get married on a train like the young couple, Julie and Steve? I don’t think getting married like that would be my first pick, but it would make for an interesting story. The Hollywood people that are on the train with Eleanor seem nice enough, but I wonder if they will continue to be nice as the train ride continues. 

Do you have any guesses about anything that will happen in the next section? Do you think Tom and Eleanor will start to get along? What about the other people on board–how will they add to the story? 

Before you go, check out the video below to hear the star of the movie version talk about his experience filming the movie. Do you think you will watch the movie after you finish the book? 

I’m excited to read about your first impressions of the book in the comments! Make sure to check back next week after you read through chapter 22!