May book: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

chosen by Bree

Book Description:

"It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery."

What we discussed about the book:

Everyone who finished the book really loved it.

We talked about the unique narrative style, but that it just seemed to work really well. Most of us enjoyed the way 'death' narrated the novel, with Sharon particularly enjoying it and finding him/it (!!) funny at times. We agreed the unique style made a horrifying topic much easier to read, and it ended up being an absolutely beautiful story.

We pretty much all agreed that we cried at the end, and most found it an easy read, although a few of us found it took a little while to get into.

A few other points we enjoyed included:

• We were all interested in the characters, and wanted to know what was going to happen to them.
  
• The language was really well used, beautiful at times, and conveyed the story and feeling of the time so well.
  
• It had a satisfying ending - sufficiently 'wrapped up', but not with a sickly sweet ending!
  
• The little 'pull out' explanations: like '3 small but important facts...' were excellent.
  

One of the questions asked was 'why did the novel foreshadow a number of the deaths?' The general consensus was that it helped reduce the shock and horror of the deaths themselves, as by being aware of it you could enjoy the last moments of the characters.

To sum up, the book made a lot of us think about the theme of words, and language, and how enriching books and words can be.

The final line was perfect..."I'm haunted by humans"'

Who we would cast in the movie version of the book:

• Death- Nicolas Cage
  
• Papa- an older Sam Neill. We thought he had to have kind eyes
  
• Mama- Kathy Bates
  
• Rudy- Sean Astin (from the 80s, and the Lord of the Rings)
  
• None of us had any suggestions for Liesel or Max.
  

And then we were sidetracked into:

• That Sharon kissed the little boy from Kramer vs Kramer (when she was in Europe in her 20s). We looked him up and remembered how cute he was!
  
• Apparently Alana has a thing for Cuba Gooding Jnr!
  
• Quiz nights - how much we love them and that we should go to one together soon!
  
• Pen was nervous about what to say when she spoke to Sophie's class about her job!
  
• Moral vs illegal actions - what is a problem for role models, and are there different expectations for politicians vs sportspeople. What is a 'sackable' offence, and what should we expect from people in the public eye.
  

And in other news:

• Bree ordered pizza which was VERY popular, and Shaz made a lovely chocolate cake.
  

Ratings

Ratings average: 8

Ratings range: 6-9. 1DNR

April book: Fear of Flying, by Erica Jong

chosen by Jacqui

Book Description:

"Compulsive daydreamer Isadora Wing doesn't want much - just to be free and to find the perfect, guiltless, zipless sexual encounter. Pursuing this ideal across two continents, she discovers just how hard it can be to make one's dreams come true.

Though Isadora fears flying, she forces herself to keep travelling, risking her marriage and even her life for her own special brand of liberation. This intensely witty and exuberant novel is about how Isadora gains her freedom and loses her fear."

What we discussed about the book:

Overall, everyone who read the book seemed to enjoy it, but just didn't rate it that highly. Isadora seemed to most of us to be quite self-involved, although we questioned whether that is necessarily a bad thing. There were quite a few a-ha moments. For example, Isadora wondering "where the women were who were really free, who didn't spend their lives bouncing from man to man, who felt complete with or without a man", and her questions about marriage p87 " Would most women get married if they knew what it meant?..." For all Isadora's talk of independence she didn't make a liberated decision in the end.

Things we didn't like:

No-one really liked Adrian. The book just seemed to amble along and had no real climax. We all disliked the dirty places she stayed while with Adrian, and her being totally unprepared for her period. Jack, who loved it when she first read it as a teenager, didn't find it as good this time around.

Who we would cast in the movie version of the book:

• Isadora - Renee Zellweger
  
• Bennett -
• Adrian - John Corbett
• Charlie - Adrian Brody
• Brian -

And then we were sidetracked into:

• Sharon's 40th
• Pip's wedding at Caves House
• Getting married young vs getting married when you are older
• Fear of getting older
• Toilet training children
• Funny sayings, most of which are too rude to repeat here.

And in other news:

• Jack assumed the role of hostess with the mostess with her delicious home-made ice cream and rocky road!
  

Ratings

Ratings average: 5.9

Ratings range: 5 - 6.5 (4 DNRs)