Book Club

Book Club: Me Before You

Book Club: Me Before You

Samantha Gratton

This “Book Club” is basically code for….I read a book and then tell you about it so you can consider whether or not to add this to your own reading list. This time it was the fictional Me Before You by JoJo Moyes. I go back and forth between fiction and nonfiction. Nonfiction has so much I can learn from, but I love finding a fictional story that still makes me think a little. I’m not overly interested in a mindless read, but it is nice to get lost in a story. This had the perfect combination of a thoughtful story that didn’t strain my brain too much.

 

What I liked about it:

  • The story is largely focused on the life of Will Traynor, a recent quadriplegic due to a motorcycle accident. I have an extremely limited understanding of what life is like for those bound by wheelchair, so it was good to get a glimpse at that and some of the difficulties I hadn’t even considered.
  • The characters were so well developed. I love strong character development in any book, and I felt I could relate to the main character, Louisa, in some ways. I especially liked the dynamic between Louisa and Will as well as some of the dynamics within Louisa’s family.
  • Jojo Moyes has such an easy writing style, and I think there’s a lot to learn from how she carefully weaves a description together–pointing out both the tangibles and the thought process of the characters somehow in the same breath.
  • Okay fine, I listened to the audiobook, please hold your judgment. If you so choose to do the same, the voice actor, Susan Lyons, did a great job. I’ve listened to a few other books performed by her and continue to be impressed. Plus, who doesn’t love a British accent?

What I didn’t like:

  • The hard situations to consider were really well done, but I didn’t love the ending. If you read the book, let me know and  I will speak about it in more detail but for now, I don’t want to give anything away. Ending aside, I’d still say this book is worth the read.
  • At first, I had no idea where the book was going and continued in anticipation. By the end, it became more predictable, especially with the Patrick character.
  • A few of the reviews I’ve read (don’t worry I actually read the book, I just like to get a full picture of what others think afterwards) mentioned the wealth of Will’s family and how it made for a lot of convenient opportunities within the book. I would have to agree with that assessment, but at the same time, it was good to see that certain accidents and life happenings can occur regardless of how much a person makes.

Concluding thoughts:

  • It kept reminding me of an adult version of the Secret Garden. There’s a boy man in a wheelchair who is fairly miserable and makes everyone around him miserable. Enter, determined girl woman who thrust into this situation due to an unavoidable hardship who first resists and then decides to make the best of this life, both hers and his. (This is neither a good or bad thing, but I couldn’t help but imagine the movie I’d watched a few decades ago).
  • This was a good read all in all, especially if you are looking for something that has a story line that is fairly compelling but doesn’t make you work too hard to understand it.

 

*Note: The book images above contain affiliate links should you decide to order the book or audiobook. That said, I got this from the library and have a feeling you could do the same. Libraries sometimes make me feel so rich with all of those books and resources so readily available.

Book Club: Dad is Fat

Samantha Gratton

Continuing the book club trend, I will tell you about another one of my summer reads. As I mentioned, I’m not in a real book club, but I’m going to pretend to have one. Or if you really want, we can just call this a real one. Grab some wine or chocolate and read whatever I read if you feel so inclined.

Recently I read Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan, who is an incredibly funny man and comedian. It really was a book full of jokes and stories about his life as a parent. Without yet being a parent myself, I found the book funny but maybe would find it even funnier if I was indeed responsible for a bunch of littles. But let’s be honest, I read a whole bunch of books and blogs all about parenthood and still enjoy them (yet have managed to avoid parenthood so far–the life stage, not the show. I love Parenthood the show.) so why should this be any different? Jim loves his kids, wrestles with how to be a good dad and tells some good jokes along the way.

What I loved about this book:

  • Any book that has me laughing out loud is awesome. I look (and sound) slightly like a crazy person when I am audibly laughing within near vicinity of any normal human beings, but it’s worth it. He definitely is funny.
  • Not only is he funny, but he is a clean comedian. I won’t call him “family-friendly” because if you read this book, he has an entire theory on such a term. But, I do appreciate humor that doesn’t make you feel dirty or question your morals.
  • He sheds some light into big families. I only have two sisters, so you could hardly say I came from a big family. My mom, however, is one of eight so I feel I can relate on some levels to such a setting, albeit indirectly.

What I didn’t love so much:

  • Some of the jokes are the same jokes that are in his show. I’ll admit, I’ve never seen a live show, but a few of them are on Netflix (which you should watch next time you need a laugh). I understand reusing them, but it can feel redundant since you know just what joke is coming.
  • His stand-up is a little more natural than his book writing. You can get the tone and the inflection, which is a big part of his comedy. I heard that the audiobook of this book was narrated by Jim himself, so maybe it would be worthwhile to “read” it that way.
  • Some of the content feels a little like filler. Or maybe just long-worded tangents. But hey, I haven’t written a book so I’m sure sometimes that’s just how it works.

Concluding Thoughts:

This was a fun read. It was fairly short, so it was also a quick read. Each chapter was a separate topic within parenthood for the most part, so it was easy to get to a stopping point if you only wanted to read one piece at a time. It really is solely about parenthood, so be ready for that (whereas his usual stand-up is a mix of everything), but I also think it would be an awesome gift for a new dad-to-be.

Book Club: Where’d You Go, Bernadette

Samantha Gratton

I have always wanted to be in a book club, but never have actually been in one. I think the fear of being obligated to read a book I might not be interested in has kept me from pursuing it. Or maybe it is the fact that my book reading is incredibly sporadic. I’ll go months without reading anything other than a few blogs and then suddenly crank out three books in a week. All that to say, I like the idea of a book club but maybe not the commitment. Hence, my very own blogging book club. I’ll just go ahead and read a book of my choosing when I want to and then write about it. You can then share your thoughts if so desire and we get the best of both worlds, sound good?

My latest summer reading included Where’d You Go, Bernadette: A Novel by Maria Semple. This was one of those books I flew through in a mere three days yet didn’t quite want it to be over. It is a fictional story about Bernadette (of course) who is maybe not the most stable person, but an artistic genius living in Seattle. The book actually is primarily made up of letters, faxes, reports, emails and memos of various characters with a little bit of narrative from her daughter, Bee, to piece it all together. You are taken along a journey, which I wish I could share more about but you need to read it first. (Maybe this is where meeting with an actual book club helps? You don’t have to say “spoiler alert” because you assume everyone there did the assigned reading?)

Here’s what I LOVED about the book:

  • It is set in Seattle, and we recently spent a little time out West. I always feel like I can relate so much better to a story when I feel in some small way I was a part of it or can visualize it. The author did an excellent job describing things, so even if I hadn’t just been there I think I would have still enjoyed it.
  • The back and forth with letters and memos allows for several different perspectives in the story, but it never felt awkward. It gave me as the reader a chance to formulate opinions about what was happening based on hearing a little from everyone without being told what was “fact” in the story.
  • The cover. I know, “don’t judge a book by its cover” but it’s just so cute. Plus, as cartoony as it is, I think it gives a good visual to the story.
  • Bernadette is truly a character. She goes on these ridiculous tangents and seems like a real piece of work, yet in some strange way, she is still completely relatable. Everyone loses their way at some point or another in life and wonders how they got to this point. It can make you feel crazy, make you act out and make you feel justified in it all, even when maybe you aren’t.
  • Favorite quote from the book: “People like you must create. If you don’t create…you will become a menace to society.”

What I didn’t love:

  • Like most books that catch your attention, the ending never seems to be enough. I wanted more details where there seemed to be some holes in the story. I always like to have an epilogue, but that’s just personal preference. It still had some closure and was a decent ending.
  • There were a couple side-plots that felt thrown in. Also, there were some side plots that probably added to the story, but the characters drove me nuts so I was annoyed to read about them. Similar to Thomas in Downton Abbey…can’t stand the guy, but I realize he is an essential element to drive the story.
  • When it ended. Cheesy, yeah, it’s true. I am secretly hoping for a sequel but not sure how the author would pull it off. I suppose there’s something to be said about writing a novel that wasn’t intended for a three-part series and four-part movie. It somehow feels a little more sincere as just one piece like this.

Concluding Thoughts:

It’s a great summer read. Quick, easy, light-hearted and fun. Yet at the same time, it’s not like you feel you wasted your time on total fluff. There is some good character development and a few good life lessons to consider. Read it and let me know what you think!

(p.s. No one told me to read this. I just wanted to. The links posted are through Amazon and if you use those links then I think I get a teenie percentage. To be honest, I picked this up at the library. If you don’t have a library card, I would strongly suggest it. That’s the biggest kind of book endorsement I could ever give: get a library card.)