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

As days go by i think the impression the book made will be more clear...i just finished it ..so these are all that comes to my mind at present...

@siriusedward, I really like the Brother Cadfael mysteries. The television series is wonderful. I've only read a couple of the books. It's just so rare to have stories in that particular time period where the protagonist is no one special and that do keep to historical behavior and attitudes.

I found this challenge difficult as I do have a number of books with flowers in the title (though fewer than I expected), but wasn't excited about reading any of them. I settled on Amazon Lily, which is a romance from the 1980s that mostly takes place in the Brazilian Amazon. There are some aspects that are dated, but overall the story holds up very well and I felt the characters were much more true to life than most (in other genres as well).

The story follows a young woman from a small town who is visiting the Amazon to see if her church should get financially involved in a preserve for the tribes. She soon finds that she's in over her head in many ways, primarily in some of her preconceptions of the man who picks her up. There is a lot of jumping to conclusions in ways that is somewhat irritating but also very realistic. Fortunately, these scenes don't get dragged out, so they aren't blown out of proportion. One thing that I was impressed by was that the tribe they visit is not looked down on. In fact, rather than judging them, the heroine feels out of place.

It turns out it was the first book by a woman who didn't have any training and hadn't even gone to college. It took her two years to get it published, then it won national awards and is considered groundbreaking. Since the relationship holds up so well, I can see why.

I just read: Te laat voor de lobelia's by Marjan Berk.
It is part 3 of a trilogy about 3 elderly ladies. In the first part there is an older man, Ferdinand, who puts an add in the newspaper, looking for a woman to share his life with. Lots of women respond. He picks 3 to meet: Patty, Hanna and Abelien. They have fun together and decide to travel to southern Europe together in a camper (all 4 of them). Then in part 2 they come to Belgium and the group falls apart. Hanna and Abelien don't like the way Patty and Ferdinand make love every night in the small camper... ;)
And when friends of them are dying, they go home to Amsterdam. Then things go wrong between Patty and Ferdinand and they go home too. When they meet again, Ferdinand faints and cancer is discovered. He dies 2 months later. The 3 ladies decide to live together in his apartment in Amsterdam and then starts part 3.
That is about how they find a meaning to their lives again - being elderly is not an excuse for not making something of your life!
The title, which means: Too late for the lobelia's - is something Patty says, when she sees those flowers somewhere. She somehow is too late for them, every year. When she sees them, it is too late to buy them in a shop and too late so sow them in the garden. At the end of the book she gets lobelia-seeds for het birthday from her friends!
The books were alright, not very spectacular, so I gave them 3 stars.

For this category I read White Oleander by Janet Fitch which I found to be an incredible book. It is about the life of a teenager (from 13-19ish) who goes through such incredible challenges. (view spoiler)[Parented by a single mother, a poet, whose decision to passionate killer her lover, causes the daughter to move from foster home to foster home. Each home adds more layers of hurt, loss, loneliness to her already difficult upbringing. I loved the way in which the story of her experiences was interwoven with the mother's letters, some poetry. The daughter is also a talented artist/painter who expresses her observations of those around her through her drawings and paintings. (hide spoiler)] Definitely a book I'd recommend!

Sam F wrote: "For this category I read White Oleander by Janet Fitch which I found to be an incredible book. It is about the life of a teenager (from 13-19ish) who goes through such in..."

When I read the book summary, I think no, no, no. Reading your spoiler though, makes me want to say yes, I could read that. I will add it to my "maybe" shelf. Thanks.

I had to come back and say that a lot of the GR folks I follow and people in the group have given it some pretty high marks, and some not so high, then I noticed that my daughter has read it and gave it 3 stars. I wonder if she remembers (5 years ago)? She usually does. She reads such totally different kinds of books than I do.

Cherie wrote: "Sam F wrote: "For this category I read White Oleander by Janet Fitch which I found to be an incredible book. It is about the life of a teenager (from 13-19ish) who goes t..."

Initially I was skeptical, but the book definitely drew me in. It's a bit incredible what the daughter goes through, but it's her growth/journey that becomes fascinating. How one person can so overshadow another and how to overcome this is interesting to think about. I really liked in in the end.

Sam F wrote: "Initially I was skeptical, but the book definitely drew me in...."

I think I would also have to say no, no, no. for that one. For all I end up reading book where people go through awful experiences, the description sounds too depressing even if she does grow as a person.

Lara wrote: "@siriusedward, I really like the Brother Cadfael mysteries. The television series is wonderful. I've only read a couple of the books. It's just so rare to have stories in that particular time perio..."

i know what you mean and thats exactly why i loved the book..the time period...and the books accuracy...the main character reminded me of the name of the rose's main character..he is so low key and likeable...not perfect...
the mystery was ok...i loved learning things like the origin of tenterhook..i esp loved the blacksmith and the businesswoman..