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 November 2021.
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 SharonBiskit
I have just finished reading The Lost Apothecary.
I have also discussed the book throughout my reading on the discussion thread.

One idea I am taking away from the book to think about is that the apothecary recorded names in her record so that all of the women that came to her for help would be immortalized in some small way. It was a book that brought up hard dilemmas. (view spoiler)[ Is it really okay to kill someone? Even if it brings an end to abuse? (hide spoiler)]. All through the reading I debated and thought about this. I ended up wanting to know more about all of the characters and couldn’t read fast enough.

WoF Jayme

I read The Thirteenth Tale and am continuing to discuss it in the discussion thread.

I enjoyed this book. It kept me on my toes and the outcome (events surrounding the fire) was not what I suspected. I liked the parallels to Jane Eyre and the author captured the eerie gothic feel of Angelfield that the entire book seemed masked in shadow and darkness. I rated it 4 stars and would read another book by this author.

WoF - Janice

I read The Lost Apothecary and discussed it in the thread set up for it. Overall I enjoyed this book in spite of there being some head scratching moments. It was the author's debut novel which maybe explains some of them. The story was told by 3 different people and was set in 1791 and in current London. I thought the premise was good and had an underlying theme of women's issues in the two different timelines and how they were dealt with.

Wof Anna M

I read & discussed The Thirteenth Tale. I liked this book a lot. I would gladly read more by this author. The book was interesting and with some unexpected twists. A bit dark but I didn't mind.

WofF - Lilisa

I read and discussed The Island of Missing Trees via my linked review in the discussion thread. I loved the book and it’s one of my top ten reads of the year!

Wof - Odette

I read and discussed Surviving Savannah. I also detailed my thoughts on this book in the discussion thread. There was a lot to like in this book and found it an interesting read.

WOF name Marie (MAZZA 57)
I read The Lost Apothecary and contributed to the discussion
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

and others

My rating was 3 stars
I loved the audio narration and the fact that there were 3 narrators really giving each character their own voice.

(view spoiler)[Nella has been an Apothecary for many years but because of an early tragedy her potions come with a poisonous twist and are entirely aimed at killing men on behalf of "wronged" women.
Eliza is a maid for Mr and Mrs Amwell, Mr Amwell would like to partake of other services from Eliza but his wife works out what his aims are and approaches Nella for help. Eliza in helping her employer becomes fascinated by what Nella is doing. Almost against Nella's better judgement they become entwined in the next preparation for an affluent woman.

Caroline is on holiday from the USA - meant to be a celebration there are many reasons for why this becomes far from the case. Having been tempted into a London activity of "mudlarking" Caroline becomes embroiled in the story of Nella and Eliza.

The movement between the timelines feels OK but the relevance of each of those timelines is not equal. I enjoyed the changes in shade and pace as we moved between the two at first but as the book progresses it feels very much staged. There is a level of predictability in the events of the book particularly the modern day timeline.

My preferred character was Nella - i think the author gave us a really rounded picture of her that was perhaps not possible in Eliza due to her youth. I think Nella's mindset was that she was helping women (no matter how right or wrong that view was) it was her Raison-d'etre.

There would be lots to discuss about whether one event (Frederick's abortifactant given to her) is enough to turn a woman against men as a species or whether she had become unbalanced following this event. The book is i think defining her as "powerful woman" I wonder if that is right and I also wonder how male and female readers view this book. In my opinion it is very much women's literature.

Conversely I think Eliza was claiming control over her life even though she had no idea what was happening to her body or indeed what Mr Amwell's intentions had been. I felt she was trying to seize the day.

Caroline - I really disliked - I felt that in a situation such as hers I would at least have wanted to communicate with James even if it was only to make him see what he had done. I felt she was almost letting him get away with the "you don't understand me / I can do right mantra. I wanted her to use her strength to smack him. However the worst part of her narrative was that it was all too easy - go mudlarking once - find the best possible artefact and someone to help her unravel the clues etc etc (hide spoiler)]

As a debut novel it has merit but feels too planned. I have never written more than journal articles but even there sometimes the information has to take you on side alleys - I think some more unknowns needed to be knit into this narrative.

Ah, Marie, please mark your spoilers.

Wof Christina

I just finished Water for Elephants. I discussed it in the theme read thread and decided to put my final thoughts here.

It fit the theme by have a time-line in the present and one 70 years before.

I hated this book! I gave it 4 stars because it was well written and the story had me turning page after page. (view spoiler)[ This book had me think of the value (or lack of it) of life. After finding out that it started in a nursing home... I was prepared for the main character to die. He didn't, but many, many good characters did. Most of the bad characters die to, but the decision that our main character makes at the end might have been more sad than death and I wasn't prepared for that. (hide spoiler)]

WoF Silver

I read The Lost Apothecary and discussed it in the thread dedicated to the book.

It started out with promise. At the start I really enjoyed the characters Nella and Eliza. The past timeline had moments of being quite interesting and there aspects of the book I appreciated. On the whole though it fell flat. I found the modern timeline and its main characters to be insufferable and there where just too many things that ended up making no logical sense in the real world.

Janice wrote: "Ah, Marie, please mark your spoilers."

I am sorry but i thought that by the time people came here thay had read the book and spoiler tags were not required

Spoiler tags are required throughout the group on all threads. This particular thread isn't restricted to only one book in the themed read. We have two selected books with an option to read others if desired. That means several different books can be mentioned in this thread.

WoF Shirley

I read Build Your House Around My Body


I discussed it in the discussion thread.
The two main timelines are 1986 and 2010.
I didn’t like it. ( ‘nuff said -it’s all in the thread.)

Katrisa
I read and discussed The Thirteenth Tale.
This book was right up my alley! I loved the gothic feel to the story. It had some twists that surprised me. The atmosphere of the book was one I just liked to immerse myself in. The audio narration was good. I loved the different passages about books and reading/writing. I loved it!

WoF Linkinn

I read the The Lost Apothecary and discussed it in the thread dedicated to the book.
I was for a time wandering if I would like this one, and I did, I did enjoy this one, was engaging and did really enjoy the story.

Also loved the The Thirteenth Tale, did read it some time ago (2010), probably was time for a re-read but I was intrigued with the lost apothecary :).

WoF Cherie

I read The Lost Apothecary and discussed it in the group thread.

It was okay, but a little too chick-lit for me.
I like more mystery/suspense in my HF/dual time lines.
It was an okay story and there were parts of both time lines that I enjoyed. It was hard to really get involved with the characters and like them, for me. As a first novel it was edited well but was just a little predictable. I appreciated the authors notes at the end of the story.

WoF Vicki

I have read and discussed The Thirteenth Tale with the group

I gave it 3.5 rounded up.
I loved the writing and all the emphasis on stories and reading. It is a book for booklovers. The mystery kept me guessing right till the end but I had no love for the inhabitants of Angelfield. I am glad I own this book as I think it would be a good reread.

WoF Saar the Book Owl.
I've read and lead the discussion. After some thinking I gave 4 stars, instead of 3. I love how intertwinted the stories where. Although it got sometimes confusing, the mysterie around miss Winter and Margaret make me keep on reading. I had a feeling about miss Winter, but wasn't sure until it got revealed.

WoF: Kristie

I read The Thirteenth Tale twice before and skimmed through it again to discuss with the group. I had to wait until the end to discuss so I wouldn't give anything away because the book has some interesting surprises in it. I really enjoyed this story. I thought there were a few strange parts, but overall it was very well done. Regarding the dual timelines, I preferred the past timeline to the current one, but both were good. I ended up giving it 4 stars.

I saw some people saying that they thought it was confusing. I do think that having the twins names so similar (Emmeline and Adeline) added to the confusion at times.

WoF Aya

I read The Last Mona Lisa and discussed it in the thread.

The story set in 1911s and 2019. The author is an artist, so I got many insider informations about art and its history. Some part of the book made me sentimental and I wish the author would write more about it. Though I didn't get what I wish for, I'm quite satisfied with the ending. I gave it 4 stars and will stalk his other work.

I read The Lost Apothecary and discussed it in the thread.

I found this book engaging and a quick read. I needed an easy and enjoyable to get me out of a reading funk and this did the trick. I rated it 4 stars. This has been on TBR for a little while after I participated in an author Zoom interview for another group. My other book group really loved this book so I am glad to finally get around to it.

I read The Thirteenth Tale and I joined in the discussion. I thought the style of prose was inquisitive and inquiring and I enjoyed that very much, I was interested in the discussion as others have said, the threads intertwine and unravel in places as we discover who the real Margaret and Ms. Winters are.

I gave it 4 stars because I like the style of the writing, the descriptive text, the characters, and the unfolding of events and unforeseeable consequences of small acts of kindness throughout the book. And the bad consequences too which can be pinpointed only after you have read the whole book.

I am posting badges soon.

Saar - You forgot to mention your book name in your post. please link it.

Amanda (Mandy) & Grainne - You forgot to add your WoF names.

Badges have been posted. Let me know if I missed anyone. :)

Thank you for the beautiful badge, Kristie!