You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

If the two chosen group reads don't take your fancy, feel free to read another book with a flower in the title. The words "flower" and "flowers" do not count, it must be a type of flower such as "lavender", "geranium", etc.

Please discuss your book in this thread.

In order to receive a badge you must:
1. have completed the book before or during June 2016
2. discussed it in this thread. Discussion must be more than "I read the book and I liked it". Discussion requires something more substantial and analytical of what you read, for example, thoughts, opinions, impact it had on you, what was your favourite part, was it what you expected it to be like etc. You may also like to review the book and post a link to the review in this thread.
3. Report that you have read AND discussed the book in the reporting thread (including a brief summary of what you thought of the book).

General Rules:
1. Please mark your spoilers with the spoiler tags along with mentioning what stage of the book you are at so other's don't get a nasty shock.

I'm hoping to read Lilac Girls this month, but may not have time. This is one of those books that I say I want to read every month and it is getting great reviews, but I never seem to get to it. Fingers crossed that I'll find more time soon.

I think I will read The Rainbow and the Rose for another alternate group read this month, when my library gets it in. I also have The Rose Labyrinth fluttering around somewhere in my den.

I was thinking of reading Lilac Girls too. I have a request in for it from my library. Hopefully it'll be available before the end of the month.

I'm going to read The Tea Rose. It's a bit chunky (I actually bought it for the chunkster challenge two years ago) but i can use it for the geocache challenge too. After not getting it done for the chunkster challenge I planned it for last year's series challenge but again didn't get round to it. Finally it will happen!

Cherie wrote: "I think I will read The Rainbow and the Rose for another alternate group read this month, when my library gets it in. I also have The Rose Labyrinth fluttering around s..."

I started The Rainbow and the Rose last night. It was really cheap on iBooks and Kindle. In fact, there is a free edition on Kindle.

I own no books with flowers in the title. I was surprised at this. I have way too many books planned to read for June so it's unlikely I'll get a "flower in the title" read unfortunately.

All of mine had rose in the title, it seemed like. I'm waiting on the library for several books now. I bought a print copy of The Scarlet Pimpernel some time ago, so I am going for that one first.

edited and moved to Help - I need a book set....

I am reading The Lotus Eaters. This novel is about a female photojournalist during the Vietnamese war. I am about 65 pages into it, and am not engaged with the story yet. The writing style is part of what is causing me difficulty (for example, the use of run-on sentences and convoluted sentence structure). The author is developing a vivid picture of life in Vietnam, from the perspective of Vietnamese citizens as well as ex-pats working in the country.

I picked up my copy of The Rainbow and the Rose this evening at the library and started reading it before I left. We are having a heat wave this weekend and it was nice to sit in the air conditioned library until I had to get into my car to drive home.

Hey Janice - what is "dripping toast"? (page 13).

I would assume it's bread fried in dripping, or fat. You know how after you fry bacon for example there is fat in the pan left over, you fry bread in the "drippings" and it is delicious.

Oh, that makes sense, Rusalka. Thanks!

TRatR:
For Janice regarding the door on the plane after they got back. ~ page 55. (view spoiler)[Don't you think Monkhouse could have suggested them taking off the door on the first flight? There would have been no need for a 2nd attempt to get the Doctor off. (hide spoiler)]

I love the radio talk. My ex-husband (Amateur Radio Operator) used to talk all over the world on his Kenwood Twins. We would stay up half the night on Fridays to be on the air. I could only use the telegraph key (morse code) to talk because I was only a Novice (13-15 words per minute). He could talk if he wanted, but he usually keyed. He could listen to the code faster than he could write (60-70 wpm). If he got someone really fast, he would sit back and just listen. Then he would tell me afterwards who he had been talking to and where they were.

TRatR: End of Chapter 3 ~page 107 (view spoiler)[ The dream. Wasn't that a unique way of giving us Johnnie's early career, the war experiences, and his courtship, marriage to Judy, and how SHE walked out of his life? (hide spoiler)]

Rusalka wrote: "I would assume it's bread fried in dripping, or fat. You know how after you fry bacon for example there is fat in the pan left over, you fry bread in the "drippings" and it is delicious."

To me, what you've just described is called fried bread (which is usually served with breakfast)

I think dripping toast, is dripping spread on toast
Dripping = Basically the meat juices from your Sunday roast were placed in a bowl and left in your pantry to set. Then spread on white bread (or toast) with a sprinkle of salt.
To most people I know that sounds disgusting but it used to be a staple in the north of England for a long time, and I promise you it's delicious!

I know Rusalka's description and mine are both talking about fat and bread but they are different.

I wasn't going to post anything till I got home because internet here at the cabins is a bit sketchy, but my friends update email reported that Cherie is reading The Rainbow and the Rose, and I wanted to discuss it with her. Last night, I didn't have too hard of a time accessing the web, but I don't think it's quite waken up yet this morning. So I will break my posts up.

I finished The Arian ow and the Rose and thought it was a delightful story. (Sorry, just have to leave that autocorrect there. -should be Rainbow, not Arian ow.).

One of the things that kept me checking definitions were the idioms and colloquial language. Cherie already mentioned "dripping toast". I think Rusalka and Lynn have cleared that up. Thanks!

There were things like he was always checking the form, which is an aeronautical term, I believe. There are a couple of points I will check with my dad when he gets here. He is a pilot and may be able to shed some light.

He talked of his maternity, which i understood by the context that it was his uniform.

He was getting Woofits because he wasn't sleeping well. I have a note on that one to ask Rusalka. A search online said that it was a hangover.

Lynn wrote: "Rusalka wrote: "I would assume it's bread fried in dripping, or fat. You know how after you fry bacon for example there is fat in the pan left over, you fry bread in the "drippings" and it is delic..."

OH! There you go. Dad used to do this, but I didn't realise it was a thing other people did. Let alone a Northern thing.

Yeah what I was talking about has different names from house to house, family to family, state to state. It's kinda the guilty pleasure thing that you don't really do in polite company (what a difference money makes) so everyone has a name for it.

Well, there you go Cherie. Two options, both possibilities.

Cherie, re the door on the plane spoiler. I suspect that it never occurred to either of them. It was windy and rainy as well as a highly stressful situation. (view spoiler)[Monkman may have assumed Ronnie would know to jettison the door. And Ronnie, so busy trying to avoid a catastrophe, forgot he could. in a way, I'm glad they didn't because it seemed like such a risky drop. I don't think I'd want to jump from a moving plane onto a hard packed surface, even if it was just above the ground and barely moving.

That whole thing confuses me. I shall have to ask Dad if it's even possible. Maybe he can explain it to me better than Nevil Shute. (hide spoiler)]

Janice wrote: "He was getting Woofits because he wasn't sleeping well. I have a note on that one to ask Rusalka. A search online said that it was a hangover"

Ooof glad google answered that one. Never heard of it. Australian slang changes a fair bit, so some stuff I can help with, but other terms will be out of date. I always find them interesting though, so let me know if there are any others you get stuck on, and if nothing else I may learn something too.

So far, so good. The internet seems to be warming up.

Cherie, I really liked the quote you put on you update status.

One I have highlighted is, "...but my grandmother told me always to steer clear of a redhead in black underwear..."

That was the other thing that I wanted to mention. I bought the $.99 Ebook and it was rife with errors. Some words were chopped off (he instead of her), and others were run together. It made the writing seem a bit juvenile. Or was it the Ebook?

Sample: “I slithered in over the fence and put her down and boy! was I glad to be on the ground!"

There seemed to be a lot of that kind of loose and flippant speech, peppered with "well this" "well that". "Well" was one of the most overused expressions.

The dream section about Judy was interesting. Johnny (view spoiler)[ gave a litany of his dead companions in a staccato-like prose which I thought really emphasized the trauma he felt. I think he really loved Judy, but she was more self centred, and maybe even incapable of real love. (hide spoiler)]

I'll leave you to comment more. I need more coffee!

Rusalka wrote: "Janice wrote: "He was getting Woofits because he wasn't sleeping well. I have a note on that one to ask Rusalka. A search online said that it was a hangover"

Ooof glad google answered that one. Ne..."

Yes, and this story is written and set in the early 1950's, so a lot of the colloquial terms were typical of the time. I couldn't find a definition online for maternity meaning uniform.

I wondered about maternity too. The rundown of his friends killed was hard to take, I agree about his trama. I remember reading this kind of thing in other books about the wsr and early flying stories of his. The next section has more abreviations. I get most of them. The more I get into this book, the more I think I have read it. Long ago. I think he really loved Judy too.

I asked Dad about things in the book. He said the Auster could even fly backwards. He said he saw it one time. If the wind is 60 mph and the plane flying into it at 50 mph, the wind could push the plane backwards. He said that the problem with the story is that the turbulence on the ground would be highly unstable making what they were attempting very dangerous. He said he would have been better to have just landed the plane.

He said the Auster and various types of Moths were training planes.

He said much of the colloquialisms were not known to him, likely regional as opposed to industry related. Maternity and form were not terms he recognized.

Internet is very finicky here. It took me over 10 minutes to load so I'm going to wait until I'm home tomorrow night to comment more.

C. of A. Must be Certificate of Airworthiness. They are talking to Parks at Airwork about Mrs. Marshall's plane.

That book is putting you guys through your paces. Lots to look up by the sound of it. When I saw you mentioning the form, the first thing that sprung to mind was the racing form. I'm not in to gambling so I don't know much about it. Probably isn't what was being referred to in your book but I thought I'd throw it out there just in case.

I am going to read Code Lupin: Un Da Vinci code normand; it's the only book with a flower that was in my tbr; I hope to get it soon from the Library... And by the way, it allowed me to learn what a "lupin" (lupinus) is...

Sarah wrote: "That book is putting you guys through your paces. Lots to look up by the sound of it. When I saw you mentioning the form, the first thing that sprung to mind was the racing form. I'm not in to gamb..."

I am pretty sure it is about the weather.

I know that when Dad would take the plane out, he would go to the airport and check the weather, check the plane and file a pre-flight plan. Perhaps all those things are what were meant by "form".

Did you finish the book, Cherie?

I know we left off talking about WWI and Judy.

Mrs Forbes - (view spoiler)[ It was rather shocking that his older daughter would try to stop any rescue attempts. What a bitter woman. She had never met her father (except as a baby), and she only had her mother's word as to her father's character. It makes you wonder what Judy told her. (hide spoiler)]

Brenda - (view spoiler)[ I think of the two women, Brenda was his one true love. It was a heartbreaking situation for both of them to be in. I have to say that they showed remarkable restraint and did their best to not take their relationship too far while she was still legally married. It was unfortunate that the original doctor was killed, and the new doctor so judgemental in his approach. It was unfortunate that Brenda saw no way out of the situation and intentionally crashed her plane. (hide spoiler)]

Peggy - (view spoiler)[ I figured out quite early that Peggy was Johnnie and Brenda's daughter. It was rather awkward when he asked her to marry him, and yet he was redeemed in her eyes when she asked how many times he'd popped the question and he said twice. He really was a man with strong morals and loved strongly. I was happy that he was reunited with his daughter. Yet, I found him to be a bit withdrawn, referring to Peggy as "Brenda's daughter" and not "my daughter". Maybe it was just the shock of it all. He did think that the child had died many years prior, and he showed quite a bit of remorse. (hide spoiler)]

I wasn't surprised at the ending. It was an interesting story and I really enjoyed it.

I wonder why it was titled "The Rainbow and the Rose". Any ideas, Cherie? I thought perhaps (view spoiler)[ that the rainbow stood for the storm and trying to rescue Johnny in spite of it. The Rose likely was Peggy. (hide spoiler)]

Janice wrote: "I know that when Dad would take the plane out, he would go to the airport and check the weather, check the plane and file a pre-flight plan. Perhaps all those things are what were meant by "form".
..."

No, I have not finished yet Janice. I am still in his 2nd dream sequence. (view spoiler)[ They are in France, just repaired the broken plane and have gone to the hotel. They are going to take the room with the double bed. (hide spoiler)] GR says I am @75%

Re Brenda (view spoiler)[ I suspected that she may have crashed her plane on purpose, but I did not know why yet. (hide spoiler)]

I will not read the one about Peggy yet. I have not met her. Is she the nurse?

Re the title. No, I have not seen anything in the book about why it was given this title. I did not read your spoiler yet.

I saw your post in the reporting thread. I agree. It is unique, the way Shute chose to tell Johnnie's story through Ronnie's dream sequences. (Did you see Carmen's comment in my status update about the tears on Johnnie's pillow? LOL!)

Yes, Peggy is the nurse who met up with Dr Turnbull and wanted to assist him with the surgery.

I see that Carmen liked your update, but I don't see her comment.

She said, "Ewe."

LOL!

The Rainbow and the Rose. I just finished the end of Chapter 5. (view spoiler)[I think I'm as upset and horrified as Ronnie. My stomach is roiling! (hide spoiler)]. And now I have to go to work...

I had to go back and read the last little bit in Chapter 5 to see what you were referring to. (view spoiler)[ I had forgotten the horror that Johnny felt when he read that his baby daughter had died. I thought it was strange that there was no explanation about how she died. So sad! (hide spoiler)]

I finished reading The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli as a flower-in-title alternate book. Overall, I enjoyed the book. However, the reader must first accept the premise that (view spoiler)[ an American woman decided to become a photojournalist during the US/Vietnamese war, even though her sole photographic experience equated to a high school photography class using an Instamatic camera - then quickly became a successful professional photographer selling photos to Life Magazine, with only some initial guidance from other photographers in the field. (hide spoiler)].

But that aside ... the horrors of war and beauty of the country were described in equal measure. The author painted a beautiful picture of lush, green, exotic Vietnam, which contrasted sharply with compelling scenes of the destruction caused during the war.

Character development seemed lacking; much of it focussed on the photographers' obsession with getting in close to get the best shot, while dreaming about fame and ignoring the associated risks. How far in exploiting the subject of a photo should a photographer go to get that shot? Clearly, the line was crossed by more than once here.

Are you reading that book for the geocache challenge, TrudyAn? It sounds like it could fit the task for the photographer perhaps.

I've had it on my list to read for a long time. I'm discouraged when I read that the character development is lacking.

Janice wrote: "Are you reading that book for the geocache challenge, TrudyAn? It sounds like it could fit the task for the photographer perhaps.

I've had it on my list to read for a long time. I'm discouraged wh..."

No, I won't be using it for the geocache challenge, unless I need to change my plans again. It would definitely meet the "main character is photographer" criteria, though.

Of the three primary characters, I feel that only Linh (not the main character) had much in the way character development. I would have liked to have known more about the main character, her personality and life before she decided to go to Vietnam.

Thanks TrudyAn. Most of my friends have given it either 3 stars or 4. I'll leave it on my wishlist and if I find it on sale someday, I'll consider it.

I finished The Rainbow and the Rose tonight. I was sick most of the day and did not feel like reading. I loved the story and how it was told. There was some language and terms that have not stood up to the times, but the concept and emotional parts were written beautifully.

Interesting statement from the end of the book, I knew what the word in bold meant, but have never seen it before.

"Johnnie Pascoe had been a better man than I, but he had never had the little benisons of life that I had got. "

benison= blessing, benediction

It occurred to me that this book could be used for the monthly challenge for the doctor. Not a lot of points though.
I guess the doctor would be considered a general practicioner.
The hardcopy, from my library that I read had no dust jacket and was a plain green color with a funny little design on the front. The title was only on the book spine, at the top. 310 pages.

I read Dream of Orchids for this months theme. It was a good read, but not quite what I expected. It was more Gothic than romance, which was fine. Except for the setting which was Key West, Florida there was such Gothic elements. A daughter reunites with the father she hasn't seen since she was 3, and finds a cold, calculating half-sister and another half-sister that has the innocence of a child and sees her dead mother. Then there's a kind of creepy secretary and everyone warning her to leave. There's also the mystery of the step-mother's violent death and sunken treasure. There was some romance, but I kind of didn't buy it and it seemed kind of forced, but the other elements of the story kept me reading. It also did double duty as I'm able to use it for the Geo-Cache Challenge. Win-Win!

I started my book for this month, The Tea Rose. Only a few pages in so can't say much yet.

I started The Rose Rent by Ellis Peters...it looks interesting....

Peggy wrote: "I started my book for this month, The Tea Rose. Only a few pages in so can't say much yet."

Change of plans. I notice that I don't feel like reading because I have to read this book. I guess it's not because of the book itself, I only read the first chapter so can't say much about it. Maybe it's because I really don't want to read a 700+-page book. I'm going to join the The Scarlet Pimpernel thread.

Yay, Peggy! Re The pimpernel - Just have some patience through the first few chapters. It sets the background and tone of things for a while. Don't worry about who all of the people are.

Thanks Cherie :) I ready through some of the comments in the thread earlier and got slightly worried..

Peggy wrote: "Peggy wrote: "I started my book for this month, The Tea Rose. Only a few pages in so can't say much yet."

Change of plans. I notice that I don't feel like reading because I have to r..."

Peggy I read Tea rose with another group. Everyone but me loved it. It became many group members favorite. I just coudn't get into it.

I am reading The Rose Rent ,halfway through it now.i am liking brother Caedfel ...and the premises of the mystery...fairly good story...

TrudyAn wrote: "No, I won't be using it for the geocache challenge, unless I need to change my plans again. It would definitely meet the "main character is photographer" criteria, though."

Just mentioning as it took a long time for me to get my head around it in YLTO. There are no penalties for counting too many things/reads towards the year long challenge. If you finish the year with your 4 sites and a few randoms, then awesome! But count whatever you can, in case random reading opportunities fit. Also, discount anything I say, just my two (rounded up to five here in Aus) cents.

Rusalka wrote: Just mentioning as it took a long time for me to get my head around it in YLTO. There are no penalties for counting too many things/reads towards ..."

Good point, Rusalka! I can see why a spreadsheet would be handy, to keep track of books for this challenge.

I liked the book The Rose Rent by Ellis Peters.i liked the way she writes..the flow and the tone is good..this book is the 13 th of the series...and I found it a good introduction into the series..it can be read as a standalone..
I liked the main characters involved in the story..Brother Cadfael, Hugh Beringar, Judith Perle and Niall ..though i would like to know more about Cadfael and Hugh...
The period the series is set in , is not one that i read much on..so it was great to know more about all the vestiers and coliers and tentergrounds...the mystery was set up well...nothing out of the blue..
I wondered whether to give it 3/4 stars...decided on 4 as the low key characters were portrayed well..
I liked the scene where brother Cadfael thinks to himself that The Rosebush(Judith's) has been tended with love and care by Niall..though the person did not know of it...
I loved the ending...
A good book..want to read more by the author..