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), how it fits the theme, 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 story line 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. put your Wall of Fame Name at the beginning of your post as follows: WoF Name - Peggy
2. have read the book(s) before or during June 2020.
3. 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.
4. Report that you have read AND discussed the book

WoF Jayme

I read The Night Watchman and discussed it in the Day and Night thread. Once again I have been caught up in the struggles and stories of being an American Indian in the U.S. In Erdrich's latest book she focuses on the theme of fighting to keep the reservation even if that land is sometimes unsustainable. This was an insightful, heart-breaking, but often times funny and hopeful story. Highly Recommend 5 stars

WoF Peggy

I'm the discussion leader for The House at the Edge of Night.

This is a relaxing, soothing read, during which we follow the lives of several generations of the Esposito family on the island of Castellamare. Not much happens, nothing to get excited or stressed or worked up about, and that was actually quite nice. I enjoyed reading it whenever I was reading, but it never called out to me when I wasn't (which might be why it took me 12 days to finish). I rated it 3 stars.

WoF Janice

I read and discussed one of the selections, The Night Watch.

This book starts out in 1947, then it backs up to 1944 and finishes in 1941. While the intertwined lives of the characters were interesting, the story didn't live up to the standard I've grown to enjoy with Sarah Waters. I felt that none of the story lines were resolved, leaving many things up in the air. Still, I'm glad that I read this book in her catalogue of work.

WoF - Lilisa

I read and discussed The House at the Edge of Night in the discussion thread.

It was an easy, enjoyable listen about four generations of a family on a small fictitious Italian island. The story begins in the late 1800s and runs through the early 2000s. I enjoyed all the characters and, like Peggy said, it’s not a complex story as we follow family members through two world wars, the Great Depression and the recession of the early 2000s.

I also read and discussed The Night Watch. I agree with everything Janice said in comment 4. I had previously read several other books by this same author, so I started the book with high expectations. Night Watch is not a bad book. I give it three stars. But it was a little disappointing, because I did not think it was as good as other books by the author. The structure is unusual, since the story starts in 1947 and then moves backwards in time. I did not like this structure. Reading the part about 1944, I found it disappointing to realize that I already knew how some of the relationships were going to work out, and I think would rather not have known. The main characters are interesting, and their intertwined relationships are interesting, but I felt a little like more could have been done to develop the relationships between the characters. Over all, I'm glad I read the book, but it is not Waters best work. Among her other works, I would recommend Fingersmith or The Paying Guests.

WoF Cherie

I read The House at the Edge of Night and participated in the group discussion with Peggy, Lilisa and others.
Although, it felt like the longest book I have ever read in a long time, it really was not. This wonderful multi-generation family saga on a made up island off the coast of Italy was narrated by Edoardo Ballerini in the audiobook version I initially got from my library. It spanned a length of time from the late 19th century into 2009. Like any normal family, the characters in the generations all have their own issues, problems and family status to contend with. They love, they live and they die, just like our family members do today. Spanning two world wars and the Great Depression and all of the technological advances into the early twenty-first century, it took a lot of time to tell and absorb. So many characters and names to comprehend, finally drove me to borrow an ebook copy to follow along in and SEE the text. I felt, at times that I could have quit reading and left the story at any point and been content, but I was really happy to finally make it to the end and see how it wrapped up. The MC, Amedeo Esposito was a foundling, a giant (almost 7 feet tall), a doctor, a bartender, a lover, a husband, a father and grandfather and a collector of island stories and history. It was magical.

WoF Kay

I read The Night Watch and participated in the discussion. I am glad to have read the book I haven't read many books nominated for the Booker prize. I can't say that it is a favourite book of mine now but I found the characters and the setting of WWII well written. The story is slow and doesn't have any huge revelations, it is also more on the sadder side of story telling. I give it a 3 star rating.

WoF Silver

I read In Between Days by Andrew Porter and I discussed it in the Day and Night thread.

I really enjoyed this book. I found it compelling from beginning to end. One of the things I loved was the multiple point of view narrative. I also liked the way each chapter was like a piece in a puzzle slowly creating the whole picture of what was happened. It was a very character driven book and while many of the characters were not likeable they were interesting and complex.

WoF name: Kristie

I read Death on a Summer Night and discussed it in the general Day and Night discussion thread. I thought it was really good for being a short book. I'd like to read a longer novel by this author and I think I may read this series from the beginning.

I thought the author did a nice job of introducing people and giving us options of what happened to the missing girl in a short time. But, things were wrapped up pretty quickly.

WoF Poongothai

I read Set the Night on Fire by Laura Trentham and discussed it in Day or Night thread.

Its a part of Cottonbloom Series and all the books are feel good in this series. Mack and his brothers own a garage and he does not like the fact that his elder brother Ford has sold his part it to an outsider Ella. Ella is out of a bad marriage and wants to find a place of belonging and thinks the garage will give her a purpose. The sparks fly; banter and passion was great; the humour was good. Ella was a strong character and I liked her a lot. Her relationship and scenes with her ex-husband's new wife was funny. It was an enjoyable read.

I read The Night Watch and discussed it in the thread. It's my 2nd book of LGBT issue and is not my cup of tea. It's a hard and slow reading for me. If it's not for the preface words, I don't think I could finish it. I didn't know anything about the setting and glad others gave me a lot of informations I can learn from. The only thing that I like from this book, maybe how the characters' emotions were built, and I like a certain part in 1944 section. The reverse plot didn't help at all. I wanted some kind of enclosure and for the characters to have a happy ending or such. But as it said, "Waters’ subtlety and restraint in pulling back the layers reveals the extent of her authorial control." 2 stars, not a good read, but at least I learned something from it.

WoF margo

I lead the discussion on The Night Watch.

This was the only Sarah Waters book I hadn't read and I've been hoarding it for ages. Oh boy, such a disappointment! My first 3 star book by this author.

With all of her other work it has been the charters and understanding their motivations that has been so compelling this story was different. The book begins after the end of WW2 and moves backwards in time to show how the MCs got to that point in time. It should have worked but it just didn't. There were too many things that I was was expecting to be revealed that were never explained. It was an interesting attempt at a different format but, IMO, she didn't pull it off well.

WoF - Jenn

I read The Night Circus, and really enjoyed this lovely, tragic, magical tale. I really liked the circus and all that was happening in plain view, and how easy it could be to set aside disbelief and just believe if the setting is right. A beautiful web of characters, and as with all good illusions . . . timing is everything.

I read The Night Tiger and really did enjoy it. I would read another book by this author. It is not a book I would typically try, but it came up on my audible suggestions. It was one of Reese Witherspoon's book club picks and had good reviews. I gave it a try and am pleased with the results. I discussed it in the appropriate thread.

Badges have been posted. Let me know if I missed you.

Thank you, Peggy!

love the badge Peggy!

Doh, I forgot to report. Please may I have a badge?

WoF Sarah
I read Night Watch and discussed it in the theme thread. It was a book about magic and thee fine balancee between good and evil .set in Moscow, although there wasn't much of aa Russian feel to it. Interesting take on the urban fantasy tropes seen these days. I likked the structure of the book - 4 storiess focusing on the saame characters, moving the story along. I will definitely continue the serries.

Of course Sarah! I'll do it right away.

I knew I needed to do it. I came back and commented on the thread but forgot to report. Doh!

I finished The Night Watch yesterday if that counts for a badge (I can't remember what the rules are for GTRs and dates. Completely fine if not).

I seem to have enjoyed this more than others, but I think I just really like Sarah Waters' writing. I agree, it wasn't the strongest of her books. But I liked the style of telling the story backwards. I am not sure if she pulled it off as much as we would have liked, and I agree with Margo, there were a lot of unanswered/unresolved things. But I am learning to embrace the fact that in books we don't have to have everything resolved.

I thought it dealt with stories of types of people we don't usually here about when WWII is discussed, and I thought that was a really interesting premise and I probably won't read a book about some of these kinds of people again. And I was super chuffed that some of the random little places in the book, I had actually been too completely randomly in London.

You will be badged Rusalka!

(I don't know if we have a rule for this either. People can get a badge when they DNF but still discuss, so this is sort of similar in my opinion)

Thanks Peggy!!