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

Please read through the reporting thread carefully to ensure to report correctly to get your badge/s.

After you have read your chosen book(s) for this month's group theme read, please report in the thread below.

Please state what book you read (and link it), that you discussed it (and where), and briefly summarise what you thought of the book and/or link to your review if you have written one.

If you lead the discussion, please state this in your post.

Here is an example for how to report your read:
“I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and discussed it in the [Harry Potter/Buddy Read/Other books in theme] thread. I really enjoyed the book. I watched the film first so I already knew the storyline but I was surprised how much I enjoyed the book more as there was more detail involved. Plus I listened to the audio which was narrated by Stephen Fry who is a superb narrator. 4 stars.”

If you read more than one book which fits the theme, please report all your reads in the same post rather than in separate posts.

Please note, there are THREE different badges that can be obtained for group reads. Those reading and discussing one of the two chosen group reads will receive a colourful badge similar to those for previous group reads. Those reading and discussing any other book in the theme will receive a stamp. The discussion leader for the two chosen group reads will receive a badge stating they led the discussion. Maximum amount of badges you can receive for the group reads is TWO - one for the chosen group read/discussion leader and one for any other book in the theme.

In order to receive a badge you must:
1. have read the book(s) before or during March 2017.
2. discussed it in the relevant 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 that thread.
3. Report that you have read AND discussed the book in the reporting thread below, along with a brief summary of what you thought.

I read two books for the monthly theme.

I read the The Book of Lost Things, and discussed it in the applicable thread. I don't much like fantasy or overly descriptive violence, so didn't enjoy this book. I did like the author's retelling of traditional fairy tales (minus the violence), and like the writing style. One aspect of the story I did enjoy was following the transformation of the MC, David, from a self-absorbed, pouty kid to a thoughtful, mature young man. I guess that's what overcoming various vicious beasts will do to a person. I gave this three stars.

I second book I read was The Lost Highway, which I commented on in the applicable thread. For some reason, I quite like books with a bleak storyline, and this definitely fit that description. Virtually all of the characters were unlikeable. Alex, the main character, was the most frustrating, because he was able to rationalize, to himself, the many unethical decisions he made (and he being a professor of ethics!). It was interesting to follow the downward spiral of events to the inevitable unfortunate end. I gave this book three stars.

I read The Book of Lost Things and discussed it in the group thread. I was also the group leader for this book.

I enjoyed the book. I thought some of the fairy tale retellings were a bit funny as they were twisted, but some of them were a bit graphic or took darker turns. It certainly had some gross parts, but overall I really enjoyed the way the story played out and watching the MC grow.

I also read The Book of Lost Things and discussed it in the group thread.

I liked that the book made me think of the stories used from a different perspective, but I found the twists in the book quite disturbing. As Kristie said, it was a bit too graphic - especially knowing it was based on fairy tales. I can't imagine a child enjoying the book - it's definitely written for adults. Not sure I would recommend it, but it has given me lots to think about - resurrecting childhood fears!

I read The Lost Girls and discussed it in the thread set up for that purpose. I was also the discussion leader.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. I gave it 4 stars. At times, I found it bleak and dragging. The story was told in two separate story lines - Lucy in 1935 and Justine in present day. At times, there didn't seem to be much connectivity between the two. But now that I've finished and everything ties in together in an interesting tapestry worth studying.

Okay, correct thread this time! Thanks Janice and Sarah :)

I read The Book of Lost Things and enjoyed taking part in the discussion.

This is a dark and twisted fairy tale, definitely not for the faint of heart - rather like the originals!
Although Connolly's hero is 12 this is an adult story. David is troubled boy struggling to cope with the loss of his mother, war, a new family, house, school - it's no wonder he comes to exist in a fantasy land populated by heroes and villains. Unable to determine who is lying to him and who is really on his side he must confront his worst fears and battle the monsters that lurk in his deepest subconscious.
The author builds his dark world skilfully. All of our childhood fears are prodded in this uncomfortable story. Fairy tales are turned on their heads and light becomes dark. The reader is pulled from horror to pantomime comedy in an instant.
I really enjoyed this book but I felt it lost its way slightly at the end when author broke into to the narrative to outline parts of the plot. I thought it would have worked better to have these things discovered by David even it had made the book a bit longer. Over though a story well worth reading especially for fans of fairytales.

Thanks Kristie for a great discussion ;-)

I've read two books for the monthly themed read.

I read The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story and discussed it in the March Lost thread.
I enjoyed how the book takes you all the way back to possibly the first attempt to find the city to the final conclusion. It was a great insight to all the work and money that goes into these expeditions along with the commitment of these talented individuals. The author does a great job making you feel a part of the journey along with him and opens your eyes to events that are occurring right now among us.

I also read The Book of Lost Things and discussed it in that book's discussion folder. I enjoy fairy tales, no matter how many times they are retold, and this book gave quite a few. It moved quickly for me and overall I felt the characters themselves were true to the story. I do feel a slight tug now to go back and read Snow White to see if I can find hints of this telling of her hiding in there.

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I read The Lost Wife and discussed it in the thread about other books for the theme.

I thought it was absolutely fantastic. This is the review I wrote:

"This must be one of the best WWII books I've ever read. I loved Lenka and Jozef and their families. I was engaged in the story and the characters almost from page 1, and very soon I couldn't put the book down and kept thinking of it even when I was not reading. The writing is fantastic and really draws you in. I liked how Lenka's story was told from the past and Jozef's more from the present. I needed a break a few times because it got too difficult to read. Caring so much for the characters did make it emotionally draining. I was near crying a few times too, and that's a rare event for me while reading. I'm just trying here to do justice to what I thought of this book but I don't even come close."

I'm so glad you enjoyed the book, Peggy. I was also moved by Lenka & Jozef's story.

Peg wrote: "I read The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story and discussed it in the March Lost thread.
I enjoyed how the book takes you all the way back to possibly the first attempt to f..."

Sounds like a good book, Peg. And brings another nonficiton book to mind: King Leopold's Ghost.

Peg wrote: "I read The Book of Lost Things and discussed it in that book's discussion folder. I enjoy fairy tales, no matter how many times they are retold, and this book gave quite a few. It move..."

Please could you report all of your books read in the same post as per the instructions in message 1. It makes it easier for me when it comes to doing badges. If you have a look at how TrudyAn has reported further up the thread, it will give you an idea. You can go back an edit previous posts by clicking on the "edit" label below your post. Thanks.

I read The Lost Girls and discussed it in the appropriate thread.

I felt that the writing itself showed a real talent. I couldn't, however, keep the characters straight in my mind.

I was happy that the outcome of the mystery (view spoiler)[totally avoided what most readers would expect...Abe a man-child, Thomas a religious zealot, Eleanor a possessive mother. All of these characters were nicely set up in the reader's mind, by the author, to be the villain of the piece, without actually making any accusation. (hide spoiler)]

Corrected Sarah, thanks! I'll get the hang of this soon. I just need to slow down and read all the instructions! (funny, that's what I used to tell my boys all the time. Oh, what has become of me! Lol)

No worries Peg. Thanks for doing that.

Tejas Janet wrote: "Sounds like a good book, Peg. And brings another nonficiton book to mind: King Leopold's Ghost."

That does sound good. Going to have to find that one sooner rather than later.

I read How the García Girls Lost Their Accents as an alternate selection. I posted and wrote a discussion of what I liked and what I did not care for in the Alternate Selection discussion thread. It is an okay story. It was not quite what I expected it to be and I had to push myself several times to get to the end. It is told in story format, with the stories linked to something that happened in reverse format from their adulthood back to their childhood. "The girls" are four sisters. Some of the stories are told in their own voice, but mostly by the author in her first person POV. This is not a book you want to read to find out about the Dominican Republic. One has to assume that they lost their accent by immigrating to the US and learning how to speak English, but that is as much as one is allowed to gather.

I read The Book of Lost Things and have participated in the group discussion thread.

The new spin the author puts on old fairy tales makes most of the original versions seem a lot less scary. I particularly enjoyed the amusing changes he made to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I'm not sure I would actually recommend this book to anyone. I am glad I finished it. Mostly because the ending changed the way I felt about the entire story. This book is a good example for why a person who doesn't read the entire book shouldn't review it.

I participated in the discussion thread for The Book of Lost Things. I read the book several months ago with another group, and reread some of it for this discussion. When I first read the book, I had very mixed feelings about it. While I liked parts of it, other parts of it are dark and gory and generally unpleasant. I was interested in the discussion here because people in this group had some different reactions to the book, and more people here had an overall positive view of it. I am glad I had a second occasion to think about the book. It's still not going to be one of my favorites, but I have a better appreciation for its virtues, which include pretty impressive character development.

I also read The Book of Lost Things, and participated in its discussion group. I was thrown off a little at the beginning by the feeling of it being a YR book. But, then I settled in for the ride, which felt kinda like Alice in Wonderland on LSD. By its conclusion, I found it uplifting and hopeful to have watched the child grow and evolve as he did. I really enjoyed this one.

I read The Lost Girls and participated in that discussion thread. I agreed with others that it was quite bleak, and it was hard to find a truly sympathetic character to like and relate to. When I first finished the book, my initial reaction was quite down. But then after reflecting on the story and characters, I felt a growing appreciation for the writing and for its many very humanly, flawed characters. My rating was 3.5 stars, which i felt merited rounding up to 4 stars rather than down to 3.

Also worth noting is that i read this book out of order. The story is told in alternating chapters from the perspective of two characters, Lucy and Justine. I read the entire Justine story first, and then reread the entire book, focusing on the Lucy chapters, but seeing how they linked up in time with what was happening in the Justine chapters. I took this approach because from past experience I've often had trouble with split-perspective books, and i've wanted to try this approach sometime. So I did! It worked out fine with this book. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't always tho.

Note, I also had trouble keeping the characters straight, or at least their names. I especially kept confusing Emily and Lucy's names. (Sorry for that.)

I read The Book of Lost Things and discussed it in the group discussion. I was able to read the book quickly and it kept my attention, but it was not a book I would like to read again. I'm glad I borrowed it from the library instead of buying it! Some of the gruesome parts were a little too detailed and the crooked man became darker as the book went on. I did like the way the author has David growing and learning throughout the book. The character was very believable. I actually had a person I know come to mind as I was reading. Very intelligent, but self-centered, anti-social and sees the world a little different from most people. (view spoiler)[ My favorite thing about the book is the fact that he doesn't explain everything in the end. Logically, it must have all been in David's mind, but David was missing for awhile and did have marks on his body that didn't seem to be from the plane that crashed in the garden. Did David really do all of those things, or was he unconscious in the hole in the wall the entire time? It's up to the reader to choose which they believe... (hide spoiler)]

I read The Lost Night and posted about it in the theme discussion thread. This was a reread for me, and I often read the author's books as comfort reads. The book progressed a bit differently than I remembered, but that might be due to the fact the author reuses certain plot devices and I've read a lot of her books.

I read Lost Girls after waiting a long time to get it from my library. Posted a bunch of comments today. It was a grim, but well written story. I'll probably give it a 4. However it was not fun to read but at least had some hope in the end.

I read The Book of Lost Things and posted about it in the discussion thread.

I really enjoyed this book even though there were some very gruesome parts to it. Deliciously creepy. I thought the twisted versions of fairy tales were well written and helped to move the plot along, showing how David and his own imagination helped to change the stories. I would definitely read something by this author again.

So glad you enjoyed it, Carla!

I also read The Book of Lost Things and took part in the discussion as well as I could (I was behind everyone else for the most part though)

I found the book hard going at times because of the simple 'fairytale' style of the narrative. It was only at the end that everything was brought into context and the book earned its third star. I didn't mind the gruesome parts at all - Grimms fairytales are pretty 'grim' and the cruel details in The Book of Lost Things can be understood as part of a re-telling for a modern (grown up) audience. After all, the real world of the book was set in WWII - I just need to remind myself that it is the gruesome cruelty that happened then (and since) that is reflected in the 'fairytale' world.

I liked the way that books and storytelling featured so strongly throughout; how the real and fairytale worlds mirrored each other and merged together; how there were books within books and stories within stories...

The book would definitely stand further consideration - the author's interview and explanations at the end of the book give further pointers and discussion starters. I would gladly re-read as part of a group sometime in the future. If I'm honest, I'm unlikely to pick it up again on my own however - the style just didn't captivate enough.

Jenn wrote: "I also read The Book of Lost Things, and participated in its discussion group. [-] I settled in for the ride, which felt kinda like Alice in Wonderland on LSD..."

Love your description Jenn! I s'pose, in a way, you've hit the nail on the head. The mind can produce weird and wonderful connections, especially in that dream-like state when you're half way between waking and sleeping.

The bloody badges have been posted. You have no idea how frustrating GR and Imgur has been this week trying to post these badges. I have had multiple attempts and got nowhere. Until now. Let me know if I've missed you.

I'm glad you were finally able to overcome those difficulties. Thanks, Sarah.

That's crummy, Sarah, about the bad experience with posting the badges : (

That said, the badge is lovely!! Thank you and hugs!!

The thanks and hugs are much appreciated thank you. :-)

The badges are excellent! Thank you for your persistence. :)

Great badge!! Thanks for your hard work.

Thanks for all the fabulous work you do, Sarah. And the same to ALL our fantastic moderators.