July 2012

Red Glass, by Laura Resau

We gave this a solid 4 stars and had a great discussion.  

Karen said, "I really enjoyed this YA novel as it describes Sophie, a anxious teen, and her journey to Mexico. I loved all the characters, especially Dika, the Bosnian war survivor full of personality. The novel is amazingly multicultural, without feeling forced. The story deals with illegal immigration, guerrilla warfare, violence, family, love and loss in a very human way. Excellent novel."

Sue said, "Beautiful writing tells the tale of a teen with anxiety who learns that she can be strong. It's told within the context of illegal immigration, survivors of war and guerrilla activity, love for others who are different from yourself, and has some strong symbols of things people cling to when their world is shattered. Great read."

June 2012

In June we met at The Lion House Pantry for lunch and a good discussion of The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner. We also discussed some of the history and "rules" of the book group so that Linda can write a paper about us for a class she's taking. One of the chefs took our picture for her. (We were missing Karen, who had family visiting from out of state.)

Back row (l-r) - Sue, Natalie, Holly. Front row (l-r) - Leslie, Alison, Linda.
The consensus on GoodReads of those club members who read The Shape of Mercy was three stars. Sue said she "liked the diary sections and found they were honest and real," but that the moral message was "a little heavy-handed." Linda said the book "was not very memorable" though she liked the setting. Alison said "there is good food for thought" but "the writing isn't stellar." Alison has also posted some discussion questions - some but not all of which we discussed at lunch - on her personal book blog here.

May 2012

A Girl Named Zippy, by Haven Kimmel

Our chosen restaurant ended up being closed so we had to make a quick switch and ended up eating at The Wild Grape and having a lovely, though unexpected, lunch.  Our rating of this book was all over the place, so it gets 3 stars overall.

Sue said, "This book is devised as a set of sketches, although the overriding theme is that despite the group of eccentric characters surrounding her, Zippy had a happy childhood. Some of the chapters reminded me of my own growing up years, especially the interior design chapter where the different craft crazes hit her town. It's a fast read and very enjoyable, with some laugh-out-loud sections."

Alison said, "More a collection of personal essays than a cohesive memoir, A Girl Named Zippy provided me with a week's worth of pleasurable commuting time. Laugh-out-loud funny at times, it also has some tender moments. I especially enjoyed Zippy talking about her relationship with her father and about her mother's faith."


Linda said, "I thought she was a good writer and it was funny at times, but there were other times I was just disgusted - like the description of the state of her house, her describing her vomit, etc.  Some of the things she did to deliberately humiliate the other kids, I thought were very unfunny.  It kind of bothered me that the author could be making money off  the story of her bad behavior as a child."

April 2012

Between Shades of Gray, by Ruta Sepetys 


We were missing some members this month as we met downtown at Martine Cafe, but we still had a rousing discussion of a book that we collectively gave 4 stars.


Leslie's review of the book is here on Compass Book Ratings.


Alison said, "Highly recommended for both young adults and adults. An important story, beautifully written!"


Karen said, "I debated for a long time about how many stars to give this book. What I liked about it, was that it tells a story that has not been told already. This is the first book I have ever read about Stalin's treatment of the Lithuanians during WWII. It is told through the eyes of Lina, a young artist, taken with her family and falsely charged then imprisoned in a Siberian work camp. I loved the portrayal of a loving family. I always felt a little disengaged from the story though. In fact, half way through I picked up another book, and read it instead, then returned to this. Overall, it is worth discovering. I also liked this quote from the author at the end, "They chose hope over hate and showed the world that even through the darkest night, there is light....love reveals to us the truly miraculous nature of the human spirit."


Sue said, "Moving story of the horrors endured by a Lithuanian family forcibly relocated to Siberia by Soviets during WWII. It's based on true stories from survivors of the forced labor camps and contains some truly horrific moments. It's definitely an older YA novel as it could be disturbing to younger readers and contains some language during stress situations. It's an important story that is well-told. I really loved it."

March 2012

Unbroken: A World War II Story Of Survival, Resilience, And Redemption, by Laura Hillenbrand

We gave this nonfiction account 5 stars as we met for lunch at Red Robin in West Valley City.  We had a great book discussion and an overview of the Utah political season. ;)

Alison said, "Compelling and inspiring story. Thoroughly researched and well written."

Linda said, "Even though at times I wanted to, I found that I couldn't put this book down. I am not particularly a fan of war stories or of WWII and all its horrors, (having read too many of them - sometimes I moan when faced with another WWII read), but this story was extremely compelling. It was at times heart-wrenching and heart-warming and I gained a love and greater appreciation for those who risk their lives for love of freedom and country."

Karen said, "This an incredible story about an amazingly resilient man. It took me awhile to 'get into' it, but by the end I sat and read the last part straight, wanting to know the end. Hillenbrand is very good at nonfiction, staying with the story and not sidetracking onto tangents. I think the book is a fitting tribute to Louis, as it tells his story from troubled teen to Olympic runner, to soldier, to POW, to PTSD struggler, to finally peace, happiness & forgiveness."

Natalie said, "Amazing! Louis Zamperini is an incredible person, and Laura Hillenbrand does a masterful job telling his story. I love her attention to detail and vivid descriptions. I love nonfiction that is enthralling, and this definitely is!"

Leslie said, "So, so, so, so good!! I am not a WWII buff, but this story was fantastic, masterfully told, and I'm so glad I read it."

Sue said, "This is a fascinating story told with the same current breathlessness as the author's "Seabiscuit". Louis' story is amazing in its depiction of human depravity and the victims' subsequent resilience. The suffering of the Pacific POWs is almost unimaginable and the descriptions are graphic. I was reminded of "Ghost Soldiers" by Hampton Sides, which depicts the Bataan Death March and rescue. Even though some of the book is difficult to read, it's an important story, and ultimately, an uplifting one."

Holly said, "Great and inspiring read!"